Lamido and His Sons to spend Sallah in jail, Bail Option Not Granted

Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido

A Federal High Court in Kano on Thursday remanded a former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, as well as others being prosecuted along with them on 28 counts of N1.351bn fraud charges, in Kano prison.

Justice Evelyn Anyadike gave the order shortly after the accused persons were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday.

The judge ordered the accused persons to remain in Kano prison till September 28, when the court would hear their bail applications.


It implied that the former governor and other accused persons, including his two sons, would observe the rest of the Ramadan period in jail and thereafter celebrate the Sallah in prison.

Lamido and his two sons were arrested by the operatives of the commission in relation with corruption-related allegations and flown to Kano for prosecution on Tuesday.

The accused persons were driven away from the court premises by prison officials after the Thursday’s proceedings.

They were driven off in a Toyota Hiace bus, with registration number PS 584 A.

The EFCC on Thursday arraigned the former governor and his two sons on 28 counts of corruption and money laundering charges involving Jigawa State Government funds.

The companies arraigned with the accused persons are Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamiana Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminum Limited and Speeds International Limited.

The request by the accused persons’ counsel, Offiong Offiong (SAN), for the judge to hear his clients’ bail applications shortly after his clients pleaded not guilty to the charges was turned down by Justice Anyadike.

This followed the request by the EFCC prosecuting counsel, Mr. Chile Okoroma, for time to respond to the bail application.

Okoroma pleaded with the court to remand the former governor, and the other accused persons in prison as EFCC facilities in Abuja and Kano were already filled up.

Justice Anyadike subsequently acceded to the prosecutor’s request and thereby remanded the accused persons in prison pending the consideration of their bail applications.

The court adjourned hearing of the application till September 28.

Numerous supporters of the former governor witnessed the proceedings on Thursday.

While the trial lasted, dozens of protesters besieged the court premises, carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs for Lamido.

An inscription on one of the placards read, “Why Lamido, why Lamido?”

Lamido is being prosecuted for allegedly using his position as the governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015 to award contracts to companies in which he and the two sons had interest.




Punch