BREAKING: Supreme Court Dismisses Aminu Lamido’s Appeal in $40,000 Undeclared Cash Case

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by Aminu Sule Lamido, son of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, challenging his conviction for failing to declare $40,000 in foreign currency while travelling out of the country.
The judgment was delivered on Friday, January 16, 2026, by a unanimous five-member panel of the apex court, which resolved all issues against the appellant and affirmed the concurrent decisions of the Federal High Court in Kano and the Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court held that the appeal lacked merit, finding no justification to interfere with the findings and conclusions of the two lower courts.
Aminu Lamido was originally convicted on July 12, 2015, by the Federal High Court sitting in Kano on charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The court found him guilty of failing to declare foreign currency in excess of the statutory limit and of making a false declaration to authorities while departing Nigeria.
At the time of the offence, Aminu, then 34 years old, was intercepted during departure checks, where investigators discovered $40,000 in undeclared cash in his possession. The trial court ordered the forfeiture of 25 per cent of the undeclared amount to the Federal Government, in line with applicable financial and anti-money laundering laws.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Aminu Lamido appealed to the Court of Appeal in Kaduna, which in turn dismissed his appeal, affirming both the conviction and the forfeiture order. He subsequently approached the Supreme Court, urging it to set aside the lower courts’ decisions.
However, the apex court upheld the rulings in their entirety, thereby bringing the legal contest to a close.
The judgment reinforces the judiciary’s position on strict enforcement of foreign currency declaration regulations and underscores the consequences of non-compliance, regardless of status or background.