by Oge Okonkwo

Governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido said the arrest of his two sons over alleged money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)  was part of the efforts by President Goodluck Jonathan and the anti-graft body to intimidate him and make him change his position.

Gov. Lamido made this statement on Friday, when he was paid a courtesy visit by the  Emir of Gumel, Sani Ahmed at the government house in Dutse.

Gov. Lamido said “some politicians believe that they can use intimidation and threat to have their way. In the last 30 years I have suffered all kinds of intimidation and harassment you can think of and so there is nothing new. All these harassments cannot break Sule Lamido.”

Reports say:

“I am a human being and I can make mistake, but honestly speaking in the last six years I have tried my best for Jigawa State and even President Jonathan has testified to that severally when he visited Jigawa. I have tried to be just and fair in running affairs of this state to the best of my ability. Jonathan, Lamorde and the SSS cannot say they love Jigawa State more than me. My culture and faith thought me justice and fairness.”

He said “I have been following all the tricks employed by the government to blackmail me. First, when Aminu was arrested in December last year over allege money laundering of 40,000 dollars, the Pilot owned by Jonathan wrote that Aminu was arrested with N3 million. Three weeks later, the same paper said Aminu confessed that he laundered N37 billion for me in the last six years.

“They did not stop there. Government agents went to the Sultan of Sokoto and told him that Aminu had N2 billion in his private account. They also went to the National Assembly and told my allies there that Lamido’s son was found with N2 billion in his account. All these were done to blackmail me, because they know I am close to the Sultan.

Whatever want to happen, let it happen. I cannot apologize over my stand. If insisting on due process, internal party democracy, rule of law is a crime, I am ready to defend my stand. It is laughable that among all the 36 governors, it’s Lamido they want to tag with corruption.”