Justice Fatu Riman of the Federal High Court in Kano has found Aminu Sule Lamido, son of Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, guilty of money laundering.
The court convicted the younger Lamido, 34, who was being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, but he would serve no prison term. Rather, would forfeit $10,000, which represents a fraction of the $40,000 he failed to declare.
EFCC arrested Lamido in December 2012 at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport en route to Egypt but he declared $10,000 to the Nigerian Customs Service, out of the total sum of $50,000 found on him.
The charge against him when the case was first mentioned on February 4, 2013, read: “That you Aminu Sule Lamido on or about 11th day of December, 2012 at the Mallam Aminu International Airport, Kano within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court while transporting in cash, the sum of $50,000 (Fifty Thousand Dollars Only) from Nigeria to Cairo, Egypt, falsely declare to the Nigerian Customs the sum of $10,000 (Ten Thousand Dollars Only) instead of the said sum of $50,000 (Fifty Thousand Dollars Only) as required under Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap F34 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Section 2(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011”.
According to the court, the defence proved its case beyond reasonable doubt