The retrial of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, his two sons, and others over an alleged N1.35 billion fraud was stalled on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The case, now reassigned to Justice Peter Lifu, could not proceed as the defendants were absent from court.
While the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lawyer, SAN Chile Okoroma, and the defendants’ counsel, SAN Joe Agi, were present, the defendants themselves did not appear.
Agi told the court that the hearing notice was only received late Thursday evening around 5 p.m. He explained that the defendants, based in Kano State, could not travel to Abuja due to the unavailability of flights but promised to produce them on the next adjourned date.
Okoroma, representing the EFCC, requested that the matter be reassigned to the former trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, who initially handled the case, noting that a formal letter had been sent to the Chief Judge.
Agi, however, said he had not yet received the letter. Justice Lifu then asked Okoroma, the former EFCC Director of Legal Services, whether he was still serving in the commission.
“Are you part of the EFCC? Are you still in the employment of EFCC?” the judge asked.
“No my Lord,” Okoroma responded.
“The onus of your protest is that you want my Lord, Hon Justice Ojukwu, to come from Calabar to take the case,” Justice Lifu said.
Th judge, who observed that the case had lingered since 2015, said there is the need to commence trial on time.
“The CJ assigned the case to me and it is my duty to start hearing, as obedient servant,’ he said.
The judge then directed Okoroma to avail a copy of the letter to Agi, who said there were objections he would want to raise.
The case was subsequently adjourned until April 1 for hearing.