The Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed the conviction of Aminu Sule Lamido, son of former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, over his failure to declare $40,000 while travelling out of the country and for making a false foreign currency declaration.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Friday, January 16, 2026, a five-member panel of the apex court dismissed Aminu’s appeal and upheld the earlier judgements of the Court of Appeal in Kaduna and the Federal High Court in Kano.
The Supreme Court ruled that the appeal was without merit, describing the arguments advanced by the appellant as “devoid of substance,” and consequently affirmed the decisions of the lower courts.
Aminu was initially convicted by the Federal High Court in Kano on July 12, 2015, following his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges related to money laundering and false declaration of currency.
The trial court found that he failed to declare $40,000 at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) while attempting to board an international flight. It subsequently ordered the forfeiture of 25 per cent of the undeclared sum, amounting to $10,000, to the Federal Government.
His conviction was later upheld by the Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division, leading to his final appeal before the Supreme Court, which has now been dismissed.