The Nigerian Supreme Court is set to deliver a final and binding judgment today, January 16, 2026, in the long-running legal battle involving Aminu Sule Lamido, the son of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido. The case centers on allegations of financial fraud related to the undeclared movement of foreign currency.
The Airport Arrest and Initial Conviction
The saga began over a decade ago when operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested the 34-year-old Aminu Lamido on December 11, 2012. The arrest took place at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport as he prepared to travel to Egypt.
According to the charges, Lamido, a 2010 Mass Communication graduate of Bayero University Kano, had declared only the statutory $10,000 to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). However, a search revealed he was carrying an additional $40,000 in cash which he failed to declare on the mandatory Customs Currency Declaration Form.
A Legal Journey Through Three Courts
The EFCC formally arraigned Aminu Lamido on February 4, 2013, on a one-count charge of false declaration of foreign currency, an offense under the Money Laundering Act. The case was heard at the Federal High Court in Kano.
After a trial, the court found him guilty on July 12, 2015. The presiding judge convicted Lamido and ordered the forfeiture of 25 percent of the undeclared $40,000 to the Federal Government as penalty.
Dissatisfied, Lamido took his fight to the Court of Appeal in Kaduna. However, his hopes were dashed when the appellate court, in a judgment delivered on December 7, 2015, dismissed his appeal. Justice Habeeb Abiru, who read the lead judgment, upheld the decision of the Federal High Court, resolving all issues against the appellant.
The Final Appeal at the Apex Court
In a last-ditch effort to clear his name, Aminu Lamido approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria. His appeal sought a total reversal of his conviction and the nullification of the judgments from both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
The prosecution was led throughout the entire legal journey—from the High Court to the Supreme Court—by EFCC lawyer DCE Sa'ad Hanafi, who now serves as the Acting Zonal Director of the commission's Benin Directorate. Lamido's defense was handled by senior advocate Chief O. E. B. Offiong (SAN).
Following the adoption of final briefs by both parties, the Supreme Court panel reserved its judgment and announced January 16, 2026, as the date for the final verdict, bringing a close to a legal process that has spanned nearly 13 years.
Today's judgment will determine whether the anti-graft agency's persistent pursuit ends in a final affirmation of guilt or if the son of the former governor succeeds in overturning a conviction that has hung over him for more than a decade.
