JIGAWA State Governor, Sule Lamido, has debunked reports that
his son, Aminu, who was arrested at the Aminu Kano Airport, Kano on Wednesday,
was laundering money for him.
Aminu was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission and the Nigerian Customs Service for being in
possession of $40,000 which he did not declare at the counter on his way to
boarding an Egyptian Air plane to Cairo.
The governor in a statement on Thursday said, “Aminu Lamido had
a daughter born with spinal chord problem and was taken to Cleopatra Hospital
in Cairo, Egypt last year. She was in the hospital for three weeks for
treatment and was asked to be returned after three months for the second phase
of the treatment and this was done about four months ago.
“At the end of the second phase of the treatment, they were
asked to return to the hospital for examination after three months.
“It was on the third leg of the visit that Lamido was
arrested by the EFCC while trying to board the Egypt Air on Tuesday.
“The impression the EFCC gave that he embarks on several trips
abroad on money laundering on my behalf is therefore false and mischievous to
that extent.”
Meanwhile, EFCC has granted Aminu bail.
The spokesperson for the commission Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said
although charges had been prepared but the governor’s son would be charged to
court on a later date.
EFCC officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was
granted bail because judges were not available in Kano on Thursday to take his
plea following the judges conference in Abuja.