Money laundering: Jigawa Governor’s son granted bail

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has granted bail to Aminu Sule Lamido, the eldest son of the Jigawa state Governor, Sule Lamido, who is standing trial over alleged money laundering.

Delivering judgement on the bail application on Tuesday morning, Justice Fatu Riman said, “It is trite that judicial discretion should be marked by fairness and must be guided by law.”

“I am persuaded that the prosecution failed to prove that the accused person will jump bail if granted.”

The charge against the governor’s son reads: “That you Aminu Sule Lamido on or about 11th day of December, 2012 at the Mallam Aminu 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 declared to the Nigerian Customs 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 EFCC said the accused was arrested by it operatives at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport Kano on December 11, 2012 on his way to Cairo, Egypt. He was arrested for failure to declare the $50,000 in his possession. He only declared $10,000 to the Nigerian Customs.