Justice Peter Lifu fixed the date after Lamido and his two sons failed to appear in court for their plea on Friday. The former governor is expected to be arraigned alongside Aminu Lamido and Mustapha Lamido, who are accused of participating in the alleged fraud through questionable contract awards.

Defence counsel Joe Agi apologised to the court for the absence of the defendants, explaining that notice of the hearing was received late on Thursday evening. According to him, Lamido and his sons live in Kano and could not travel to Abuja on such short notice. The lawyer assured the court that the three defendants would appear on the next adjourned date.

However, EFCC counsel Chile Okoroma expressed surprise at their absence, noting that the defendants had been served with the hearing notice.

Okoroma also informed the court that the commission had written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, requesting that the original trial judge Ijeoma Ojukwu, who has since been transferred to Calabar, be reassigned to handle the case.

Justice Lifu said the request was an administrative matter to be decided by the Chief Judge but proceeded to adjourn the case to April 1 for arraignment.

The EFCC initially charged Lamido, his sons, and their companies—Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd—in 2015 on 27 counts of money laundering involving about ₦1.35 billion allegedly diverted from Jigawa State during Lamido’s tenure as governor between 2007 and 2015.

The anti-graft agency alleges that the funds were obtained as kickbacks from state government contracts and subsequently laundered through the defendants’ companies.

After the prosecution presented more than 16 witnesses, the defendants filed a no-case submission arguing that the EFCC had not produced enough evidence for them to enter a defence. Justice Ojukwu dismissed the application in November 2022, ordering them to open their defence.

The defendants later appealed the decision, and in July 2023, the Court of Appeal of Nigeria ruled that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked territorial jurisdiction, stating that the trial should have taken place in Jigawa State.

The EFCC subsequently challenged the ruling at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which on January 16, 2026 overturned the appellate court’s decision.

In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Abubakar Umar, the five-member panel held that Lamido and the other defendants had a case to answer and ordered the matter returned to the Federal High Court for continuation of trial.