Money Laundering: Aminu Sule Lamido, Son Of Ex-Jigawa Gov, Loses Appeal

aminu_suleThe Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna on Monday dismissed the appeal filed by Aminu Sule Lamido, the 34-year old son of former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, against the decision of the Federal High Court, Kano, which found him guilty of the charge of money laundering.

Recall that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on December 11, 2012 arrested Aminu at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport en route Egypt with $40,000 cash which he failed to fully declare, choosing to declare only the statutory $10,000 in the Customs Currency Declaration Form.

He was subsequently arraigned by the EFCC on February 4, 2013 on one count charge of false declaration of foreign currency.

At the time when he was arrested with the amount, Aminu, a 2010 graduate of Mass Communication from Bayero University Kano, claimed the money was for his daughter’s treatment at an Egyptian hospital, denying he was attempting to launder money.

However, the EFCC went ahead to charge him to court.

“That you, Aminu Sule Lamido, on or about 11th day of December, 2012 at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court while transporting in cash, the sum of $50,000 (fifty thousand dollars only) from Nigeria to Cairo, Egypt, falsely declare to the Nigeria Customs Service the sum of $10,000 (Ten Thousand dollars only) instead of the said sum of $50,000(fifty thousand dollars only) as required under Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap F34 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Section 2(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011”.

The former Jigawa governor’s eldest son was tried and consequently convicted on July 12, 2015 by a Federal High Court sitting in Kano and ordered to forfeit 25 percent of the undeclared sum.

Dissatisfied with the judgment of the trial court, Aminu filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division, praying the Appellate court to set aside the judgment of the lower court.

According to the spokesperson of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, the Appellate court in its judgment, delivered by Justice H.A.O Abiru, upheld the decision of the lower court and resolved all issues raised against the appellant.