Court grants ex-Gov. Lamido, sons bail

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted former Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, and his two sons, bail.

Mr. Lamido and his sons are facing money laundering charges, brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

They were arraigned last week in Kano, and were later remanded pending their bail application hearing on September 28.

The Lamidos were however transferred secretly to Kuje prison in Abuja on Monday, ahead of a court hearing Tuesday, after another judge was assigned to consider the bail application.

The new judge, Gabriel Kolawole, said the bail was granted based on self-recognition of Mr. Lamido as a former governor of Jigawa State.

Mr. Lamido, his two sons, and one other accused person, Abubakar Wada, were admitted to a N25 million bail bond each, in addition to a requirement that they submit their travel passport to the court.

The court also directed that they provide two sureties each, one of which must be a civil servant of grade level 16 or retired as such, or a businessman who owns a landed property not worth less that N75 million in Abuja or Jigawa state.

The sureties must also provide two recent passport photographs.

Mr. Kolawole said the EFCC’s argument that the accused persons were earlier allowed administrative bail by the commission based on the fact that they were unaware of the enormity of evidences gathered by the commission, was weak.

He said the state, in this case the EFCC, must justify why the court must not exercise its discretion in favour of an accused person.

The commission’s counsel had earlier argued that knowing the pool of evidence gathered by the EFCC, the accused persons may likely jump bail.

They are to be released from prison once the bail conditions are met.

The EFCC is accusing the four suspects of money laundering, amongst other charges.

Mr. Lamido, his sons and Mr. Abubakar are accused of using their positions to siphon Jigawa State funds.

In 2014, PREMIUM TIMES reported how a construction firm, Dantata and Sawoe, paid N1.3 billion as 10 per cent kickback for contracts it won, into accounts owned by the governor and his sons.