The retrial of former Governor Sule Lamido, his two sons and others over alleged N1.35 billion fraud was Friday stalled at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

The case, now reassigned to Justice Peter Lifu, could not proceed due to the absence of the defendants in court.

Although the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s lawyer, Chile Okoroma, and the defendants’ counsel, Joe Agi, were in court, the accused were absent.

Mr Agi, while addressing the court, said the hearing notice for the proceedings was received late yesterday at about 5:00 p.m.

The lawyer said the defendants, who are based in Kano, could not make it due to flight issue. Mr Agi, however, undertook to produce them on the next adjourned date.

Mr Okoroma sought a reassignment of the matter back to the former trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, who handled the case.

He said a letter had been written to the chief judge in this respect. However, Mr Agi said he had not got the letter.

Mr Lifu then asked Mr Okoroma, the former director of legal services in the EFCC, if he was still in service.

“Are you part of the EFCC? Are you still in the employment of EFCC?” the judge asked.

“No, my Lord,” Mr Okoroma responded.

“The onus of your protest is that you want my Lord, Honourable Justice Ojukwu, to come from Calabar to take the case,” Mr Lifu said.

The judge, who observed that the case had lingered since 2015, said there was the need to commence trial on time.

“The CJ assigned the case to me, and it is my duty to start hearing as an obedient servant,” he said.

The judge then directed Mr Okoroma to avail a copy of the letter to Mr Agi, who said there were objections he would want to raise.

The case was subsequently adjourned until April 1 for hearing.

The Supreme Court had, on January 16, ordered a trial of the former governor and others over alleged N1.35 billion fraud.

A five-member panel of the apex court issued the directive in two unanimous judgements delivered in the two appeals filed in the name of the federal government by the EFCC.

Both appeals were against the July 25, 2023, judgments by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which upheld the no-case submission made by Mr Lamido and others and struck out the 37-count charge on which they were being prosecuted, on the grounds that the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.

In the lead judgments of the Supreme Court, Abubakar Umar set aside the July 25, 2023, judgments of the appellate court and affirmed the earlier decision by Mr Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, which overruled the no-case submissions by Mr Lamido and others and ordered them to enter their defence.

The EFCC, in the 37-count charge, among others, accused Mr Lamido of abusing his position as governor between 2007 and 2015, allegedly laundering money received as kickbacks from companies awarded contracts by the Jigawa government under his leadership.

(NAN)