The Supreme Courtroom ordered the trial of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and two of his sons, Mustapha and Aminu, on Friday over alleged involvement in cash laundering of roughly N1.35 billion.
A five-member panel led by Justice Inyang Okoro unanimously nullified a earlier ruling by the Abuja Division of the Courtroom of Enchantment, which had discharged the defendants and struck out the fees towards them.
The apex courtroom criticised the appellate courtroom for ending the case on technical grounds and directed that the matter return to the Federal Excessive Courtroom for trial to proceed.
The ruling got here following two separate appeals—SC/CR/921/2023 and SC/CR/920/2023—filed by the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC) towards Lamido and his son Mustapha.
In a associated judgment, the Supreme Courtroom additionally upheld the forfeiture of $40,000 discovered on Lamido’s son Aminu, which he didn’t declare whereas travelling to Egypt in December 2012. Aminu had declared solely $10,000 to the Nigeria Customs Service.
The EFCC charged Aminu with false declaration of international forex beneath the Cash Laundering Act.
He was convicted in July 2015 by the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Kano, which ordered him to forfeit 25% of the undeclared money. This conviction was affirmed by the Courtroom of Enchantment in December 2015.
Aminu’s subsequent attraction was dismissed by the Supreme Courtroom on Friday.