A former military administrator of the old Kaduna State, Abubakar Umar, has condemned a federal court’s decision to remand the immediate past governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and his sons, Aminu and Mustapha, in prison for nearly three months over corruption charges.
Mr. Umar said, “The offence for which Sule Lamido and his two sons were charged is clearly a clearly bailable offence. This is why it appears strange that not only were they refused bail but they are remanded in prison custody for about three months”.
He said the judge’s decision to keep the accused persons till September for hearing of their bail application means the former governor and his sons have started serving prison sentences even before the commencement of their trial.
“It behoves on all men of good conscience to appeal to the trial Judge to reconsider this high-handed decision. The principle of the accused being adjudged innocent until proven guilty must apply in this case,” Mr. Umar said.
He added that, “We are also aware that persons with similar cases had been granted and are being granted bail. We appeal to the trial judge to temper justice with mercy by granting Governor Sule Lamido and his sons bail”.
Mr. Lamido and his sons were arraigned on Thursday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on allegations of money laundering, amongst other charges.
Twenty eight-count charge bordering on a number of alleged breach of trust by Sule Lamido, Aminu Sule Lamido, Mustapha Sule Lamido and one Aminu Wada Abubakar, was read in court.
They pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to them.
The trial judge, Evelyn Anyadike, ordered that the four accused persons be remanded in a Kano Prison Custody.
She rejected the pleas of the defence counsel, Effiong Effiong, SAN, that the accused be kept at EFCC custody, saying the commission had complained of inadequate facilities.
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