Sule Lamido’s son denies, money laundering, bribery charges against him, his father, others

Mustapha Lamido, son of former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido, on Tuesday, denied the bribery and gratification charges brought against him, his father and others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mr Mustapha, the third defendant, denied the allegations before trial judge Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

He testified as the fifth defence witness.

The EFCC is prosecuting the ex-governor alongside his two sons – Aminu and Mustapha, on N1.35 billion money laundering charges.

Others defendants in the case are Aminu Abubakar, Bamaina Company Nigeria Ltd, Bamaina Aluminium Ltd, Speeds International Ltd and Batholomew Darlington Agoha as 4th to 8th defendants respectively.

The EFCC alleged in the 37 charges that Mr Lamido abused his position while serving as governor between 2007 and 2015.

The commission accused him of laundering sums of money received as kickbacks from companies that were awarded contracts by the Jigawa State Government under his leadership.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

In his testimony on Tuesday, Mustapha, led in evidence by defence lawyer Joe Agi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that the allegations in the entire 37 counts were untrue.

He said all the sub-contracts awarded by Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company to their companies were duly executed and paid for.

Mustapha deneid that the several millions of naira mentioned in each of the counts were indirectly paid as bribery and gratification to Mr Lamido, who was governor at the time.

He said though his father was a director in the companies, he managed them without the ex-govenor’s interference.

He said he bidded for the sub-contracts with Dantata and Sawoe to supply bitumen, diesel, among others, and that the contracts were executed without his father’s contribution.

When Mr Agi took the the witness through each of the counts, he den8ed all the allegations.

“Was it the first defendant (Sule Lamido) who asked you to supply products to Dantata and Sawoe,” the lawyer asked.

“No my Lord. I have been a businessman all my life,” Mustapha responded.

He told the court that he started car sales when he was in university in 2002.

According to him, he borrowed N1 million from his father to start the business.

“Speeds International Ltd that I run, I sell cars. I took night bus from Kano to Lagos without my father’s knowledge then to Birnin Republic to purchase cars,” he said.

He said his father introduced him to the late Aminu Dantata before he became the governor of Jigawa.

Asked if he was the only supplier to Dantata and Sawoe, he responded in the negative.

He insisted that all the sub-contracts done with Dantata were legitimate and genuine.

Earlier, Mustapha, who said he lives in Kano, said he supplies goods and services, including petroleum products.

When Mr Agi asked him if he knew the defendants, Mustapha said: “Yes, the fitst defendant is my beloved father.

“The seond defendant (Aminu) is my elder brother. The fourth defendant is a family friend,” he said.

He also said that the three companies- Bamaina Company Nigeria Ltd, Bamaina Aluminium Ltd and Speeds International Ltd are family companies while Agoha (8th defendant) is a manager of all the companies.

He said Bamaina Company Nigeria Ltd was incorporated around 1984, and that after the company was incorporated, they started dealing in petroleum products.

When the lawyer asked him if he had documents to back the petroleum business, he responded in affirmative.

“Yes, we have but during post-election violence in 2011 in Kano State, some hoodlums launched an attack on our head office; Bamaina Nigeria Ltd and Bamaina Aluminium Ltd.

“The office was burnt down, and most of the documents were lost,” he said.

Mustapha, however, said that there are police extract, court affidavit where the companies were listed, report of the post-election violence and items listed, including the report of compensation by the Kano State government, as proof.

Judge Ojukwu admitted the documents in evidence because there was no objection by the prosecution lawyer, Chile Okoroma, a SAN.

When Mr Agi asked Mustapha if efforts had been made to get new documents, he said: “I had to go to my father’s archive in my village to get the photocopies.”

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He said approval was gotten by his father to construct a filling station on 20 December 1984 at Bamaina Village in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area.

Some documents sought to be tendered by Mr Agi were opposed by Mr Okoroma, who prayed the court to reject them. The documents opposed by the prosecution included a Directorate of Fire Service letter to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Conoil letter to DPR, Bamaina’s letter to DPR, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) Permit and car sale agreement.

The judge, in a ruling, held that the defence had satisfied the provision of the law since the documents sought to be tendered were original copies.

She, therefore, admitted them in evidence and marked them as Exhibits 84, 85, 86, 87 and 88 respectively.

After Mustapha was cross-examined by the EFCC lawyer, the defence closed their case.

Judfe Ojukwu adjourned the matter until 12 January 2027 for adoption of final written addresses.

(NAN)