Court adjourns Lamido, sons’ N1.35bn fraud trial over counsel’s absence

Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido

The trial of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha Lamido, over an alleged N1.35bn fraud was on Monday stalled at the Federal High Court, Abuja, following the absence of the lead defence counsel, Joe Agi (SAN).

Lamido and his sons are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu on a 37-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering, kickbacks and fictitious contract awards.

EFCC alleged that the offences, amounting to N1.35bn, were committed while Lamido served as governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015.

This was disclosed in a X post by the anti-graft agency on Monday, stating that at the commencement of proceedings, prosecution counsel, Chile Okoroma (SAN), informed the court that he had received a letter from Agi explaining that he could not attend the proceedings because of “some medical issues involving a surgery” and requested an adjournment