Money laundering: Court convicts Sule Lamido’s son

A Federal High Court, Kano, on Friday convicted Aminu; the son of Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, of money laundering charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Aminu was arrested on December 11, 2012 at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on his way to Egypt for failure to declare the $50,000 in his possession. He only declared $10,000 to the Nigerian Customs Service.

According to a statement by the EFCC Acting Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, Justice Fatu Riman ordered him to forfeit 25 per cent of the undeclared sum of $40,000.

In the course of trial, which started on April 19, the prosecution called four witnesses and tendered documents which were admitted as exhibits.

One of its witnesses, Sanusi Ahmed, who is an operative of the EFCC, told the court that the accused person only registered $10,000 in the Nigerian Customs Declaration Form only for a search to reveal that he had $50,000 on him.

He identified the Customs Declaration Form when it was shown to him. The document was accepted by court as exhibit 1.

The defence called two witnesses: the Chief Press Secretary to the Jigawa State Governor, Umar Kyare, and the wife of the accused, Samira Aminu Sule.

In convicting the accused person, the trial court held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.