Court Adjourns Trial of Former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido Over Defence Counsel’s Absence
Court Adjourns Trial of Former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido Over Defence Counsel's Absence
Court Adjourns Trial of Former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido Over Defence Counsel’s Absence
The trial of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and his two sons, Aminu Lamido and Mustapha Lamido, was on Monday adjourned by the Federal High Court in Abuja following the absence of the lead defence counsel, Joe Agi, SAN, due to health-related reasons.
The case, which is before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu at the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft agency is prosecuting the defendants on a 37-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering, receipt of kickbacks and the award of fictitious contracts involving about ₦1.35 billion. The alleged offences were said to have occurred during Sule Lamido’s tenure as Governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015.
At the commencement of proceedings, EFCC’s lead counsel, Chile Okoroma, SAN, informed the court that the defence had written to notify the court of Agi’s inability to attend the hearing because he was recovering from surgery. The letter also requested an adjournment of the matter.
While wishing the defence counsel a speedy recovery, Okoroma argued that another member of the defence team could have appeared in court to ensure that the trial continued, noting that the case had remained before the court since 2015.
The prosecution further pointed out that the presiding judge had travelled from her judicial station in Calabar, Cross River State, to Abuja specifically to hear the matter, urging the court to grant only a short adjournment.
After considering the submissions, Justice Ojukwu granted the prosecution’s request and adjourned the case until Tuesday, July 21, 2026, for the continuation of trial.
The trial is expected to resume with the prosecution continuing to present its case against the former governor and his co-defendants.
Court Adjourns Trial of Former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido Over Defence Counsel’s Absence
