A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has remanded a former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, accused of fraud, in prison custody till September 28.
The former governor, who was formally arraigned alongside his children in court today after flight issues from Abuja stalled the proceedings of the court on Wednesday, are accused of receiving N1.35 billion as kickback from a government contractor.
The money was allegedly paid into accounts controlled by the governor and his sons.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is accusing the four suspects of money laundering, amongst other charges.
Security was reportedly beefed up as the ex-governor and his sons were brought to court in a coaster bus on Thursday.
Delivering a ruling, Justice Evelyn Anyadike ordered that the four accused persons be remanded in a Kano Prison Custody because the EFCC said they lacked enough facilities to accommodate them.
Pleas by the defence counsel, Effiong Effiong, SAN, that the accused be kept in EFCC custody was rejected by the judge, who pointed out the EFCC’s complaint of inadequate holding facilities.
Twenty eight-count charge bordering on a number of alleged breach of trust by Sule Lamido, Aminu Sule Lamido, Mustapha Sule Lamido and one Aminu Wada Abubakar, was read in court.
They pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to them.
The judge ruled that the accused persons be remanded pending the hearing of their bail applications.
Earlier, the defence counsel had argued that remanding the accused persons in prison would amount to trampling on their fundamental human rights and pleaded that they be sent to either of EFCC facilities in Abuja or Kano.
However, the counsel to the EFCC, Chile Okoroma, objected to the plea, insisting that the anti-graft commission’s facilities in both Abuja and Kano are full to capacity.
The case was subsequently adjourned to September 28 for ruling on the bail applications.
The post Alleged N1.35BN Fraud: Court Remands Sule Lamido, Sons, In Kano Prison Till September appeared first on INFORMATION NIGERIA.
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