The defendants are facing 27-count money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against them. The court adjourned to hear a consolidated application by the defendants, challenging transfer of their case-file from Justice Adeniyi Ademola. Lamido and his sons rejected the re-assignment of the case-file to Justice B.O. Quadri by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta. Their case-file was transferred to a new Judge after Ademola was arrested and subsequently prosecuted by the Federal Government on corruption charges. Justice Ademola had on the basis of a directive by the National Judicial Council, NJC, stepped down from the Bench to answer to the 18-count charge FG entered against him, his wife, Olabowale, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Joe Agi. However, the Judge was later discharged and acquitted of all the charges against him. Meanwhile, Lamido, whose case was among several others that were stalled by the development, asked the CJ to allow Justice Ademola to resume hearing on his matter. The former governor, through his lawyer, Agi, SAN, noted that re-assigning the case to Justice Quadri would mean that the trial will start de-novo (afresh). Agi further noted that the prosecution had already called eighteen out of twenty witnesses billed to testify in the matter. “We wrote to the Chief Judge to resign the case back to his Lordship, Honourable Justice Ademola in view of the fact that 18 witnesses had been called and that by Section 98 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, transfer of cases in criminal trials are not done as a matter of course,” Agi submitted. Nevertheless, the EFCC, in a letter dated April 11, which it wrote to the CJ, maintained that, “It will not be in the interest of justice for the case to be transferred back to Justice Ademola’s court for continuation of trial”. It said: “This is because of the negative impressions the public may have about the outcome of the trial whether the defendants (Lamido and sons) are acquitted or convicted.” The anti-graft agency further said “the fear of this public perception may put the judge (Justice Ademola) under intense pressure which may affect his sense of judgment”. At the resumed sitting on the matter on Wednesday, Justice Quadri adjourned to hear the defendants’ motion, even though Lamido was not in court owing to the fact that he is currently on remand at Kiyawa Prison. Lamido was remanded on Tuesday by a Chief Magistrate Court in Jigawa State where he was charged with disturbing public peace and inciting public disturbance.]]>