Alleged money laundering: EFCC re-arraigns Lamido, sons

Stories by Vivian Okejeme Abuja

Th e Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has re-arraigned former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido, his two sons, and fi ve others before Justice B.O. Quadri of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Th e defendants were rearraigned alongside Aminu Abubakar, Batholomew Agoha and three companies on an amended 43-count charge bordering on money laundering and illegal diversion of public funds. When the charges were read out to them, they all pleaded not guilty.

Justice Quadri admitted Lamido to bail in the sum of N100 million and two sureties in like sum while his sons and the other defendants were admitted to bail in the sum of N50 million each and two sureties each in like sum. He said that sureties for Lamido must have landed property not encumbered and depose to an affi davit that they were willing to forfeit the property to the Federal Government should he breech his bail condition. Th e judge also ordered that the sureties for the other defendants must be civil servants in any ministry from grade level 15 and above, who must present their tax clearance certifi cate for the last three years. Th ey must also have more years in service and produce a letter from the heads of their various ministries that they have no criminal record and have never been indicted before. Other conditions of the bail include that the EFCC, which is the prosecuting agency, must verify the addresses of the sureties. Moreover, the judge ordered the defendants to also deposit their international passports with the registrar of the court and must not, under any circumstance, travel out of the country without the court’s permission. Th e trial judge ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody, if they failed to perfect their bail conditions within two months from the day of arraignment. Arguing his bail application, counsel to Lamido, Mr. Offi ong Offi ong SAN, asked the court to allow the defendants to continue on the previous bail conditions granted them by Justices Gabriel Kolawale and Adeniyi Ademola. Responding to the defence application, the Prosecuting Counsel, Mr. Chile Okoromma, objected on grounds that the charge

against the defendants was new. In his argument, he submitted that what happened before the previous judges was “dead and in the past”. It will be recalled that Lamido and his co-accused were arraigned before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court, Kano state, on July 9, 2015, for allegedly misappropriating funds belonging to Jigawa state. Th eir case was later transferred to the Federal High Court, Abuja, where Justice Gabriel Kolawole granted them bail and adjourned the matter to Sept. 22, 2015. Th e matter was then assigned to Justice Adeniyi Ademola ,but following his arrest and prosecution by the Department of State Services DSS, the matter was transferred to Justice Quadri. Following the Ademola’s acquittal, Offi ong prayed the court to return the matter to Ademola on grounds that 18 witnesses had already testifi ed. Okoroma objected on grounds that the lead counsel for Lamido, Mr. Joe Agi (SAN), was tried alongside Ademola for corruptionrelated off ences. He said it would be wrong for Agi to defend a case before Ademola because the public perception would be that the judge was biased, whichever way, the verdict went.

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