Alleged N1.35 billion fraud: Lamido, EFCC disagree with witnesses

Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday disagreed over the summons of witnesses brought to the Federal High Court, Abuja, by the commission.

This happened shortly before the trial continued.

The EFCC charged Lamido with alleged money laundering to the tune of N1. 35 billion.

The former governor with his two sons – Aminu and Mustapha; Aminu Wada Abubakar and his companies – Bamaina Holdings Limited and Speeds International Limited.

The defendants, through their lawyer, Joe Agi (SAN), have applied to have the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, or any other staff member, summoned to give evidence in their defence, following a plea that their cases were dismissed.

READ ALSO:Panic grips schools in Lagos as authorities refute claims of bandit invasion

The defendants chose not to file a case after the prosecutor closed the case by calling 17 witnesses.

Although the case was initially handed back to Justice Peter Lifu by the presiding judge following a Supreme Court decision upholding the court’s decision, the commission insisted that Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, the previous judge, had resolved the matter.

The case was then handed back to Justice Ojukwu.

When the case was called on Tuesday, Kayode Oyetunde, an EFCC staff member and an investigator, was called by the prosecutor, Chile Okoroma (SAN), to testify.

However, Agi asked for a delay so he could meet the summoned witnesses.

But Okoroma opposed the adjournment request.

Instead, the Public Prosecutor prayed that the court stop the trial process so that the defense could evaluate the witnesses as all documents produced by the summoned witnesses had been submitted before the court as evidence.

Therefore, the judge refused to postpone the case and threatened to cancel the court summons if the postponement request was granted.