The immediate past governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has attributed politics to his current travails, saying he is being persecuted by those who feel that they would not be able to actualise their presidential ambition in 2019 with him around the political arena. He and his two sons have, in the past 96 hours, been kept behind bars in Kano Central Prison.

Sunday Vanguard quoted Lamido’s media aide, Umar Kyari, who drew the attention of Nigerians and the international community to the attempt being made by those he called his principal’s “political enemies” to silence him using the instrumentality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Lamido, according to the report, pointed out that it was clear from the outset that there was a grand design to put him away in prison for a long time under the guise of money laundering and sundry charges so as to pave the way for his political enemies to have their way.

Lamido’s spokesman said further: “This current effort to frame and denigrate the former governor of Jigawa State with a view to rubbishing his high performance in office will come to naught at the end of the day. Lamido remains nothing but a scion of accountability and integrity who has always fought on the side of the people, particularly the downtrodden and the vulnerable, since he came into the national political scene. He remains unshaken over the trumped-up charges slammed on him by the EFCC knowing that he has not committed any offense to warrant being thrown into the prison over a bailable offense. But the refusal by his traducers to grant him and his sons bail when others charged same day and time for even more grievous offences were admitted to bail speaks volume of the intention and mindset of those who are after him. Nonetheless, Sule Lamido strongly believes that, after being imprisoned several times all in a bid to pave the way for sustained democracy in Nigeria, the current effort by the EFCC and others to humiliate him and his family over the so-called money laundering charges will not break his resolve to continue to fight on the side of the people.”

According to the charge sheet of the EFCC, Lamido and his two sons, allegedly laundered N1.35 billion. They were slammed with a 28-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust. The trial judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike, adjourned the case till September 28 while ordering that the suspects be remanded in Kano Prison.