The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday, January 16, 2026, upheld the forfeiture of $40,000 to the Federal Government, dismissing an appeal filed by Aminu Sule Lamido, the son of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, examined the appeal challenging previous judgments of lower courts. In a unanimous decision delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro and read by Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar, the court declared that the appeal was “doomed to fail,” officially affirming that the funds would be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Okay News reports that the case dates back to earlier investigations into undeclared foreign assets by Nigerian public officials. Aminu Sule Lamido had argued that the funds were legally obtained and not subject to forfeiture, but the court found no merit in his claims.
The Supreme Court ruling follows a series of anti-corruption measures undertaken by the Federal Government, including the recovery of undeclared assets held domestically and abroad. Legal experts describe the decision as reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to financial transparency and accountability among public figures.
The court’s pronouncement leaves no further legal avenue for Lamido to contest the forfeiture, marking the conclusion of a high-profile case that attracted national attention due to the Lamido family’s political prominence.
