Court grants bail to Lamido, sons

A federal high court in Abuja has granted bail to Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa state, and his sons, Aminu and Mustapha.

The former governor was granted bail on self recognition, while his sons paid the sum of N25 million each.

One Aminu Abubakar Wada, a party to the case, ‎ was also granted bail on the sum of N25 million.

Gabriel Kolawole, the vacation judge, who heard their bail application, had adjourned ruling to 2:30pm after hearing the matter for about one hour.

However, he did not show up until about 3:52pm.

On Thursday, Evelyn Anyadike, a justice of the federal high court in Kano remanded them in Kano prison‎ after they were docked on a 28-count charge of corruption and money laundering brought against them by the EFCC.

Anyadike adjourned their trial to September 28 but said they could approach the vacation judge with their formal bail application.

They were transferred to Kuje prison in Abuja on Monday and brought to the court early Tuesday.

Joe Agi, counsel to the Lamidos, prayed the court to grant‎ the accused persons bail on the grounds that they were presumed innocent before the law until convicted.

Citing section 125 of the administration of criminal justice act, he further urged the court to ‎grant the applicants bail, saying the former governor honoured an invitation by the anti-graft agency while he was abroad, and did not flee from the law when he had the chance.

Chile Okoroma, counsel to the EFCC, however, argued that the punishment for the crime (money laundering) the accused persons are alleged to have committed was seven years imprisonment without an option of fine.

Okoroma said they might flee because of the heavy charges hanging on their necks.

After listening to arguments from both sides, Kolawole ruled that the accused persons be released on bail on the grounds that the prosecuting counsel was not able to prove if they would jump bail.

Lamido was required to release his international passport to the court while his sons‎ were asked to present two sureties each.

The judge said the sureties must be civil servants not below grade level 16 and must have landed property valued at N75 million.

Armed policemen massed around the premises of the court, forestalling a repeat of what happened at the federal high court, Kano where supporters of the Lamidos besieged last Thursday.

The travails of the Lamidos began in 2012 when Aminu was arrested by the EFCC at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, for failing to declare a sum of $ 40,000.

He was prosecuted and convicted; with 50 percent of the undeclared sum forfeited to the federal government.

But the investigation into the source of the funds led investigators into the closely guarded web of corruption and money laundering involving members of the former first family of Jigawa state and their cronies‎.