The Supreme Court on Friday, January 16, 2026, affirmed the forfeiture of $40,000 to the Federal Government by Aminu Sule Lamido, following his conviction for false declaration of foreign currency at the Aminu Kano International Airport.
In a unanimous decision, the apex court upheld the earlier judgments of the Federal High Court, Kano, and the Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division, which found Lamido guilty of money laundering-related offences and ordered the forfeiture of the undeclared funds.
Lamido, son of a former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, was arrested on December 11, 2012, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while en route to Cairo, Egypt. He was found to be carrying $50,000 but declared only $10,000 to officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), contrary to statutory requirements.
He was subsequently arraigned on February 4, 2013, before Justice Fatun O. Riman of the Federal High Court, Kano, on a one-count charge bordering on false declaration of foreign exchange and money laundering. Lamido pleaded not guilty but was convicted on July 12, 2013. The trial court ordered the forfeiture of $40,000, being the undeclared portion of the funds, to the Federal Government.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Lamido appealed to the Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division. On January 5, 2016, a panel comprising Justices Isaiah Olufemi Akeju, Habeeb Adewale Abiru, and Oludotun Adefope-Okojie dismissed the appeal, affirming both the conviction and the forfeiture order. The judgment was delivered by Justice Abiru.
Lamido further appealed to the Supreme Court in suit number SC201/2016. In its final judgment, the apex court resolved all issues raised on appeal in favour of the EFCC, thereby affirming the decisions of the two lower courts.
The ruling effectively brings the long-running case to a close and reinforces judicial support for the enforcement of laws on the declaration of foreign currency by air travellers in Nigeria.
