Mustapha Lamido, son of former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido, on Tuesday, denied the bribery and gratification charges introduced against him, his father and others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr Mustapha, the third defendant, denied the allegations earlier than trial choose Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He testified because the fifth defence witness.
The EFCC is prosecuting the ex-governor alongside his two sons – Aminu and Mustapha, on N1.35 billion money laundering charges.
Others defendants within the case are Aminu Abubakar, Bamaina Company Nigeria Ltd, Bamaina Aluminium Ltd, Speeds International Ltd and Batholomew Darlington Agoha as 4th to eighth defendants respectively.
The EFCC alleged within the 37 charges that Mr Lamido abused his place whereas serving as governor between 2007 and 2015.
The fee accused him of laundering sums of money obtained as kickbacks from corporations that had been awarded contracts by the Jigawa State Government underneath his management.
The defendants, nevertheless, pleaded not responsible to all of the counts.
In his testimony on Tuesday, Mustapha, led in proof by defence lawyer Joe Agi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), instructed the court docket that the allegations in all the 37 counts had been unfaithful.
He mentioned all of the sub-contracts awarded by Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company to their corporations had been duly executed and paid for.
Mustapha deneid that the a number of tens of millions of naira talked about in every of the counts had been not directly paid as bribery and gratification to Mr Lamido, who was governor on the time.
He mentioned although his father was a director within the corporations, he managed them with out the ex-govenor’s interference.
He mentioned he bidded for the sub-contracts with Dantata and Sawoe to provide bitumen, diesel, amongst others, and that the contracts had been executed with out his father’s contribution.
When Mr Agi took the the witness via every of the counts, he den8ed all of the allegations.
“Was it the first defendant (Sule Lamido) who asked you to supply products to Dantata and Sawoe,” the lawyer requested.
“No my Lord. I have been a businessman all my life,” Mustapha responded.
He instructed the court docket that he began automobile gross sales when he was in college in 2002.
According to him, he borrowed N1 million from his father to start out the enterprise.
“Speeds International Ltd that I run, I sell cars. I took night bus from Kano to Lagos without my father’s knowledge then to Birnin Republic to purchase cars,” he mentioned.
He mentioned his father launched him to the late Aminu Dantata earlier than he grew to become the governor of Jigawa.
Asked if he was the one provider to Dantata and Sawoe, he responded within the damaging.
He insisted that every one the sub-contracts completed with Dantata had been legit and real.
Earlier, Mustapha, who mentioned he lives in Kano, mentioned he provides items and providers, together with petroleum merchandise.
When Mr Agi requested him if he knew the defendants, Mustapha mentioned: “Yes, the fitst defendant is my beloved father.
“The seond defendant (Aminu) is my elder brother. The fourth defendant is a family friend,” he mentioned.
He additionally mentioned that the three companies- Bamaina Company Nigeria Ltd, Bamaina Aluminium Ltd and Speeds International Ltd are household corporations whereas Agoha (eighth defendant) is a supervisor of all the businesses.
He mentioned Bamaina Company Nigeria Ltd was integrated round 1984, and that after the corporate was integrated, they began dealing in petroleum merchandise.
When the lawyer requested him if he had paperwork to again the petroleum enterprise, he responded in affirmative.
“Yes, now we have however throughout post-election violence in 2011 in Kano State, some hoodlums launched an assault on our head workplace; Bamaina Nigeria Ltd and Bamaina Aluminium Ltd.
“The office was burnt down, and most of the documents were lost,” he mentioned.
Mustapha, nevertheless, mentioned that there are police extract, court docket affidavit the place the businesses had been listed, report of the post-election violence and objects listed, together with the report of compensation by the Kano State authorities, as proof.
Judge Ojukwu admitted the paperwork in proof as a result of there was no objection by the prosecution lawyer, Chile Okoroma, a SAN.
When Mr Agi requested Mustapha if efforts had been made to get new paperwork, he mentioned: “I had to go to my father’s archive in my village to get the photocopies.”
READ ALSO: Alleged N1.35bn Fraud: Sule Lamido, EFCC disagree over subpoenaed witness
He mentioned approval was gotten by his father to assemble a filling station on 20 December 1984 at Bamaina Village in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area.
Some paperwork sought to be tendered by Mr Agi had been opposed by Mr Okoroma, who prayed the court docket to reject them. The paperwork opposed by the prosecution included a Directorate of Fire Service letter to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Conoil letter to DPR, Bamaina’s letter to DPR, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) Permit and automobile sale settlement.
The choose, in a ruling, held that the defence had glad the availability of the legislation for the reason that paperwork sought to be tendered had been authentic copies.
She, subsequently, admitted them in proof and marked them as Exhibits 84, 85, 86, 87 and 88 respectively.
After Mustapha was cross-examined by the EFCC lawyer, the defence closed their case.
Judfe Ojukwu adjourned the matter till 12 January 2027 for adoption of ultimate written addresses.
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