Abuja Court Schedules Lamido Rearraignment for April 2026

A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled April 1, 2026, for the rearraignment of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, his sons Aminu and Mustapha, and two family-linked companies in a long-running money laundering case involving 1.35 billion naira. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission first brought the charges in 2015, alleging the defendants laundered funds through kickbacks from state contracts awarded during Lamido's tenure from 2007 to 2015.

The latest court session on Friday could not proceed with the arraignment because the defendants did not appear. Their lawyer, Joe Agi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, apologized to Justice Peter Lifu, explaining that the hearing notice arrived late Thursday evening, giving insufficient time for his clients, who reside in Kano, to travel to Abuja. Agi noted the distance and lack of immediate transportation options, such as flights, and assured the court that the defendants would attend the next date to enter their pleas.

Counsel for the EFCC, Chile Okoroma, also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, expressed surprise at the absence despite service of the notice. Okoroma informed the court that the commission had written to Chief...