The Supreme Court has ruled that Aminu Lamido’s appeal lacked merit, sustaining earlier judgments on the undeclared $40,000 case.
The Supreme Court has brought an end to the legal battle involving Aminu Sule Lamido, son of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, by dismissing his appeal against a conviction secured by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Aminu Lamido had challenged his conviction over allegations that he failed to properly declare $40,000 in foreign currency while passing through an airport and also made a false declaration.
However, the apex court ruled unanimously that his arguments lacked substance.
Delivering the decision on Friday, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court resolved all three issues raised for determination in the appeal against the appellant.
The court concluded that there was no basis to overturn the decisions of the lower courts.
The lead judgment, prepared by Justice Adamu Jauro and read by Justice Abubakar Umar, upheld the earlier ruling of the Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna.
That appellate court had previously affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court in Kano, which found Aminu guilty of the offence.
In its July 12, 2015 ruling, the Federal High Court convicted Aminu Sule Lamido and ordered the forfeiture of 25 per cent of the undeclared foreign currency to the Federal Government, in line with applicable financial regulations.
By affirming the decisions of the lower courts, the Supreme Court has effectively closed the case, reinforcing the legal requirement for travelers to fully and accurately declare foreign currency as stipulated by law.
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