The trial of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha Lamido, over an alleged N1.35 billion fraud did not go on at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday after their lead lawyer, Joe Agi (SAN), failed to appear in court due to health reasons.
The case, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was adjourned by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu to allow the defence to continue its case at the next hearing.
The EFCC is prosecuting Lamido and his sons on a 37-count charge involving alleged money laundering, kickbacks and fake contract awards. The commission claimed the alleged offences, valued at N1.35 billion, were committed during Lamido’s time as governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015.
At the start of proceedings, EFCC counsel Chile Okoroma (SAN) informed the court that he had received a letter from Agi explaining that he could not attend because he was recovering from surgery. The defence lawyer requested that the matter be postponed.
While wishing Agi a quick recovery, the prosecution argued that another lawyer from the defence team should have appeared in court so the trial could continue. The prosecution pointed out that the case has remained in court since 2015 and should not face further delays because of the absence of one counsel.
The prosecution also informed the court that the trial judge had travelled from Calabar, Cross River State, to Abuja specifically to hear the matter. Based on that, the EFCC asked the court to grant only a one-day adjournment to avoid slowing down the proceedings.
After listening to both sides, Justice Ojukwu granted the request for an adjournment and fixed the matter for continuation of trial.
The EFCC later stated that the next hearing would take place on Tuesday, July 20, 2022. However, that date appears to be an error because the proceedings were held on Monday, July 20, 2026. The expected date for the next hearing is Tuesday, July 21, 2026.