The Supreme Court is set to deliver judgment on Friday, January 16, 2026, in the long-running ₦1.35 billion fraud case involving former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and his sons, Mustapha Lamido and Aminu Lamido.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced the development on Thursday via social media, stating that the apex court will determine its appeal against the July 25, 2023, decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which had discharged the Lamidos of all charges.
Dissatisfied with the appellate ruling, the EFCC filed an appeal at the Supreme Court on July 31, 2023, seeking to overturn the judgment and remit the case to the trial court for continuation and conclusion. The agency argued that the Court of Appeal erred in law by discharging the defendants despite sufficient evidence establishing a prima facie case against them.
The charges, initially filed before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, include a 37-count amended charge of money laundering and abuse of office against Lamido, his sons, Aminu Wada Abubakar, and their companies, Bamaina Holdings Limited and Speeds International Limited.
According to the EFCC, Lamido, who governed Jigawa between 2007 and 2015, allegedly laundered ₦1.35 billion received as kickbacks from contractors executing state government projects.
The trial, which began in 2015, featured over 16 witnesses called by the prosecution. Before opening their defense, the defendants filed a no-case submission, arguing that the EFCC failed to prove any wrongdoing. Justice Ojukwu dismissed the submission, ruling that the defendants had a case to answer.
The defendants subsequently challenged this ruling at the Court of Appeal, which discharged them of all charges, prompting the EFCC’s appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday is expected to bring a decisive turn to the case, which has been closely watched as one of the most high-profile corruption trials in recent Nigerian history.
Supreme Court to Rule on Ex-Governor Lamido, Sons’ Appeal Friday
