The Courtroom of Enchantment gave a technical cause for hanging out the corruption prices in opposition to the previous Jigawa State governor, Mr Lamido, and his sons.
The Courtroom of Enchantment in Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed the cash laundering prices instituted eight years in the past by the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) in opposition to a former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, and different defendants, together with his sons.
A 3-member panel of the courtroom struck out the fees on a technical floor of lack of jurisdiction by the Federal Excessive Courtroom to conduct the trial in Abuja.
The judgement upheld the no-case submission the defendants had filed on the trial courtroom, the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja to problem the validity of the fees.
The EFCC had been prosecuting Mr Lamido, his two sons and their firms earlier than the Federal Excessive Courtroom on 37 counts of cash laundering involving about N1.35 billion.
The opposite defendants charged alongside the previous governor included his two sons – Aminu and Mustapha. The others are Aminu Wada Abubakar, and their firms – Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds Worldwide Ltd.
The fee accused Mr Lamido of abusing his place as governor between 2007 and 2015, allegedly laundering sums of cash acquired as kickbacks from firms that have been awarded contracts by the Jigawa State Authorities below his management.
The EFCC had known as over 16 witnesses earlier than closing its case final 12 months.
Afterwards, the defendants opted for a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had not positioned ample supplies earlier than the courtroom to warrant them getting into defence.
However the trial decide, Ijeoma Ojukwu, dismissed the no-case submission and ordered the defendants to open their defence on 8 to 11 November 2022.
Dissatisfied, Mr Lamido went on an attraction.
The Courtroom of Enchantment heard the attraction arising from the case in June and reserved judgment; the courtroom stated the date of judgement could be communicated to the events.
Judgement
Within the lead judgment delivered by Adamu Waziri on Tuesday, the courtroom resolved the problems raised within the attraction in opposition to the EFCC and in favour of the appellants, primarily ruling that the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja lacked jurisdiction to entertain the fees.
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The courtroom dominated that the alleged offences came about in Jigawa State, due to this fact, the fees should be filed in Jigawa State and never in Abuja.
The courtroom then struck out the fees and discharged the defendants.
16 prosecution witnesses
The trial which commenced in 2015 had seen the EFCC name about 16 witnesses earlier than closing its case.
However as a substitute of opening their defence, the defendants opted to file a no- case submission, arguing that the prosecution had not positioned ample supplies earlier than the courtroom to warrant their defence.
However the trial decide, Ijeoma Ojukwu, threw out the no-case submission, and upheld the submissions of the EFCC’s counsel, Chile Okoroma.
The decide held that Mr Lamido and the opposite defendants had a case to reply, and ordered them to open their defence.
Dissatisfied, Mr Lamido proceeded to the Courtroom of Enchantment to problem the Federal Excessive Courtroom’s ruling.
