Rabiu Yusuf, commissioner of police in Kano state, has warned officers against demanding for money or any form of favour before granting bail to suspects.
Yusuf cautioned against illegal investigation of cases, unlawful detention of suspects and prolonged detention, saying that the officers should respect human rights in the course of all investigations.
The police chief spoke at a lecture/ parade with officers and men working at state criminal investigation and intelligence department, divisional crime officers and investigation police officers in the state.
Yusuf, according to a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Magaji Majiya, said that the era of bribery and corruption was over in the police circle.
“Nobody should accept or demand money or any form of favour for bail.
“Any senior police officer found to be engaged in corrupt practices will be queried and sent to the Force Headquarters for disciplinary action.
“Inspectors and rank and file found wanting will be sanctioned appropriately,” Yusuf said.
He urged them to exhibit professionalism and diligence during investigation by collating all relevant evidences and witnesses and forward the case files to the director of public prosecution for legal advice where applicable.
Yusuf urged the legal/prosecution department to ensure diligence and logical prosecution of cases in the court of Law and that cases should be judiciously followed up to gain conviction of criminals.
The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Wednesday granted a N10 million bail to Dickson Akoh, the commandant of the Nigerian Peace Corps.
Mr. Akoh, 43, was arrested by the police on March 19, after turning himself in.
He faces a 90-count charge of recruitment scam, money laundering and impersonation to the tune of N1.4 billion on him.
The presiding judge, John Tsoho, granted him bail in the sum of N10 million after A.K. Aliyu, a prosecutor in the Office of the Attorney-General, read out the charges.
The letter used by the convicted former Adamawa governor, Bala Ngilari, to secure bail is fraudulent, an official has said.
The letter, which supposedly confirmed Mr. Ngilari’s bad health situation, was the major one he presented to a Yola High Court and upon which the court granted him bail.
Justice Nathan Musa of the Yola High Court on Monday granted bail to Mr. Ngilari, currently in the prison for a five-year jail sentence.
The former governor has appealed against his conviction.
Peter Tenkwa, the Controller of Adamawa Command of the Nigerian Prison Service, NPS, told journalists on Monday in Yola that he was not aware of the letter and had communicated to the prison headquarters.
He said the headquarters directed him to issue a query to officials involved in the matter, including the Deputy Controller of Yola Prison, Abubakar Abaka, and a Superintendent of Prisons, John Bukar, in charge of health.
“Nigeria Prison Service, as I stated, knows nothing about this letter; whoever wrote that letter is on his own. I have been directed to query the officers involved.”
Mr. Tenkwa said that all he knew was that he got a letter dated March 23 from Adamawa Ministry of Justice on health facilities in Yola Prison where Mr. Ngilari was remanded and that after accessing the facilities, he replied to the letter, informing the ministry that the facilities were okay.
“We have enough medical facilities to handle high profile inmates like Ngilari; we even received some supply of drugs on Friday,” Tenkwa said.
Mr. Tenkwa, however, said that he had yet to get a release order from the court regarding Ngilari’s bail, adding that whenever he received it, he would contact the service’ legal department before acting on it.
Also commenting on the issue, the Attorney-General of Adamawa and Commissioner for Justice, Bala Sanga, said the bail granted Mr. Ngilari was a disturbing development.
“The chamber of attorney general is very worried and disturbed about this granting of bail pending appeal to our former governor; this is a legal remedy that is very rarely granted.”
Mr. Sanga said that he was more disturbed that the letter acted on in granting the bail was not exhibited with the appellant’s application nor attached to the documents.
“Technically what this means is that the letter was not even before the court.
“So, the court, in my opinion, has no business relying on a document that was not before it to arrive at a decision.”
Mr. Sanga said that the purported letter claiming that Ngilari was facing serious health problem was dated March 23, while the letter to the ministry from the prison service, which confirmed that the authorities had the necessary facilities to handle Mr. Ngilari, was dated March 24.
“This is very scandalous, if indeed the prison says it did not issue the letter.
“We intend not to file a complaint against whoever wrote that letter but to refer the matter to the police for prosecution because the court relied significantly on that letter to grant the bail,” Mr. Sanga said.
Mr. Sanga said that the disease was not contagious hence the bail was unnecessary.
Justice Musa, on March 6, sentenced Mr. Ngilari to five years in prison, without an option of fine, for violating the Public Procurement Act in the award of contract for the procurement of 25 vehicles.
Mr. Ngilari was given an option to select a prison of his choice to serve the term.
Detained Kano State musician, Sadiq Zazzabi, has been released.
Zazzabi was arraigned by the Kano State Censorship Board for releasing a song for former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, without the approval of the censorship board.
The court which sat on Wednesday directed that Zazzabi be remanded in prison until last week Friday.
However, the court did not sit on Friday which resulted in the singer remaining in prison custody until Monday 6.
On Monday, the musician was granted bail on three conditions: the sum of N100,000, a member of the music writers association of Kano State, and a civil servant of not lower than grade level 14.
Zazzabi met with the bail conditions and has since been released.
The court sitting will continue on March 27.
?Zazzabi has, however, said he is being targeted because of his support for Mr. Kwankwaso, an allegation the government denies, saying he violated state censorship laws.
Mr. Kwankwaso and incumbent Governor Abdullahi Ganduje have been at odds with each other, and their supporters have often clashed.
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES from Kano, the chairman of the censors board, Ismaila Afakallahu, also confirmed that the musician has met the bail conditions.
Asked if the board has any agenda on the matter, Mr. Afakallahu said “what we are doing is what we are expected to do as regulatory commission. We are not witch-hunting anybody. We are doing this for the benefit of all of us.” He said.
Nollywood marketer, Seun Egbegbe and one Mr. Oyekan Ayomide who were arrested for defrauding some Bureau De Change operatives have been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo who presided over the case ruled Mr. Seun should be granted bail once he meets bail requirements.
“Both accused should be granted bail of N5million with two sureties each in a sum of N2.5million. That is four sureties altogether. One of the sureties must be a civil servant who has attained level 16 while the other surety must be a land owner in any part of Lagos metropolis.”
“The landowner must submit Certificate of Ownership of the landed property and while the civil servant must submit his international passport to the court. The four sureties must swear to an affidavit while the house and office addresses and telephone number will be verified by the court,” she added.
Mr. Seun will be in prison custody pending fulfillment of bail conditions. Mr. Seun and Mr. Ayomide were both arrested for defrauding some Bureau De Change operatives of over N40.647 million between 2016 and February 2017 before he was apprehended by men of the Nigeria Police Force.
A 22-year-old man, Shaibu Sani, who allegedly stole iron rods valued at N3,000, was on Wednesday brought before an Upper Area Court in Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory.
Mr. Sani is facing a two-count charge of joint act and theft which contravene Sections 97 and 287 of the Penal Code.
Police Prosecutor Abdullahi Tanko said the accused with another man now at large stole two pieces of iron rods valued at N3,000 at undisclosed location.
According to him, the iron rods were later recovered from the accused during police investigation.
The accused pleaded not guilty.
The judge, Alhassan Kusherki, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with a surety in like sum.
Ibrahim Shema, former governor of Katsina state, has been granted bail to the tune of N1 billion.
Shema and three others were Tuesday arraigned before a Katsina state high court on 22 count charges of misappropriation of about N11 billion and forgery of government documents.
The ex-governor and his three co-accused were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before justice Maikaita Bako over financial misappropriation and abuse of office between 2012 and 2015.
Shema broke down in tears after operatives of the EFCC arrested him on February 7.
The anti-graft agency had in September declared him wanted for allegedly refusing to honour its invitation.
Shema has denied the allegations of corruption levelled against him, accusing Bello Masari, his successor, of being responsible for his legal troubles.
Son of the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Bala Mohammed Bala, Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed, has been granted a N100m bail by an Abuja Federal High Court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned Shamsudeen on a 15-count of N1.1bn money laundering offence.
EFCC alleged that the ex-Minister’s son paid millions of naira on different occasions totaling about N1.1bn for the purchase of houses without going through financial institutions.
According to the anti-graft agency, the act contravenes the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
During today’s hearing of the matter, the trial judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba among other bail conditions, ordered Shamsudeen to provide two sureties to enter into N50m bail bond each.
The trial judge, while fixing March 27 and 28 for commencement of trial, ordered an accelerated hearing in the matter
The failure of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to challenge the applications for bail variation filed by Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and Godwin Obla was a major reason a Lagos court relaxed their bail conditions, Judge Hakeem Oshodi said on Thursday.
Reading a ruling he prepared after adjourning the morning proceedings till 2 p.m., Mr. Oshodi noted that Section 123 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2011, empowers the court to vary bail conditions imposed on defendants at subsequent hearings.
“The prosecution did not oppose the submissions filed by the defendants,” said the judge.
“We must not forget that where facts and applications remain unchallenged or uncontroverted, the court is bound to accept those facts as the truth.”
The defendants, Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, a serving federal judge, and Godwin Obla, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, are facing a joint 30-count charge of fraud and money laundering brought by the EFCC.
Mr. Obla was a prosecutor for the EFCC.
The duo were jointly charged with a two-count charge of perverting the course of justice by the anti-graft agency.
Mr. Obla was charged with an additional two counts of offering gratification in the sum of N5 million to Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, a public official during her service as a judge.
Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia faces a 26-count charge of unlawful enrichment, taking property by a public officer, corruption by a public officer, forgery and giving false information to an official of the EFCC.
They pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
On November 28, Mr. Oshodi granted the defendants bail on own recognisance, but added that they should deposit N20 million each and their passport to the chief registrar of the court pending conclusion of trial.
But on Thursday, the defendants brought an application for variation of the bail, saying that the conditions were “too extreme.”
Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia said the EFCC had placed a ‘post no-debit/freezing order’ on all her bank accounts and, in any case, N20 million was “excessive and unaffordable” for her.
She also said the EFCC had collected her travel passport during the course of their investigation of the charges filed against her.
“Bail granted on excessive conditions amounts to a denial of bail,” Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia said.
In his application, Mr. Obla noted that the cumulative monetary value of the offences charged against him was N5 million.
“N20 million is burdensome , the second defendant has made frantic efforts to comply with the conditions of the bail but had found it impossible,” he said.
In his ruling, Mr. Oshodi replaced the N20 million condition with a bail bond of the same sum to be perfected within seven days.
“As at the time of writing this ruling, the court has in its custody the international passports of the defendants,” the judge said.
He also ordered the defendants to depose an affidavit of means in support of the bail bond.
The case was adjourned till January 9, 2017, for continuation of trial.
When Samson Gbadebo, an 18-year-old man was arraigned before a Lagos State magistrate court for allegedly stealing goods worth N26,200 recently, the magistrate granted him bail in the sum of a whopping N200,000. On face value, the bail condition is grossly disproportionate to the crime for which Mr. Gbadebo was standing trial.
That appeared the case too for Ejike Ezekweghi. On October 12, the 39-year-old businessman was arraigned at an Area Court in Karmo, Abuja for allegedly stealing six bottles of assorted wine. Ruling on his application, the presiding judge, Sadiq Abubakar, admitted him to bail in the sum of N500,000.
The two cases above appear to indicate that judges apply their prerogative to impose stiff bail conditions on persons accused of minor offences. This appears even more so when you consider the usual bail conditions for politically-exposed persons and more influential Nigerians charged with more serious offences. PREMIUM TIMES found that in recent cases, this class tends to get much more lenient bail conditions, especially when compared against the allegations that took them before judges.
Take the case at an Abuja high court involving Godsday Orubebe, a former Niger Delta Affairs Minister. He was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, alongside two junior staff of the ministry, Oludara Alaba and Ephraim Zeri on a six-count charge involving their alleged diversion of N2.3 billion.
On September 7, when the judge, Olukayode Adeniyi, ruled on the accused persons’ respective bail applications, he asked Mr. Orubebe to produce a bail bond of N10 million and one surety in like sum.
For the two other defendants however, the judge asked each to produce a bond of N20 million, with a surety in like sum who must be an assistant director in the civil service and also own land within the court’s jurisdiction. Note that all three accused faced the same charges.
Or take the case of a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. His office was alleged to have been used for the diversion of $2.1 billion. In one of the many cases against him, Mr. Dasuki was accused of illegal possession of arms. The judge granted him bail on self-recognizance.
In a separate case, Mr. Dasuki was accused, alongside two others and two companies, of diverting N9.6 billion. The court admitted the three accused persons to bail in the sum of N250 million each, representing a fraction of the sum they had been charged with diverting.
More recently on November 22, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Sylvester Nguta, who had been charged for alleged corruption involving tens of millions of local and foreign currencies, was admitted to bail in the sum of N100 million.
The trial judge, John Tsoho, attached no condition to Mr. Nguta’s bail, ruling that the personal appearance of the accused made the presentation of sureties unnecessary.
So why does justice appear not to be blind to the status of the accused when judges rule on bail applications?
Going by the provisions of Nigeria’s Constitution and other relevant laws, bails are at the discretion of the trial judge.
According to Section 158 of the ACJA; “When a person who is suspected to have committed an offence or is accused of an offence is arrested or detained or appears or is brought before a court he shall, subject to the provisions of this part, be entitled to bail”.
Section 162of the same Act states that: ‘The defendant charged with an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term, exceeding three years shall on application to the court, be released on bail except in any of the following circumstances:
“Where there is reasonable ground to believe that the defendant will, where released on bail, commit another offence.
“Attempt to evade his trial; prejudice the proper investigation of the offence; or undermine or jeopardise the objectives or the functions of the Criminal Justice Administration, including the bail system”.
As stated above, section 165 of the ACJA allows courts discretion on bail terms and conditions.
PREMIUM TIMES sought the views of legal analysts on the factors that influence judges in the exercise of that discretion.
Photo credit: authorityngr.com
Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, explained that the purpose of bail is to ensure that a person accused of a crime is available for trial.
“The bail conditions must not be too stringent as to indicate a refusal or punishment pending trial”, Mr. Awomolo said.
“Every person charged with a criminal offence is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved. The amount allegedly stolen does not matter, because it is an offence which the law regards as ordinarily bailable.
“However if it is murder, treason or terrorism; the law requires special consideration to entitle such a person to be admitted to bail”.
Mr. Awomolo agrees that the status of a defendant sometimes weigh on the mind of the court in determining bail application, “particularly where the prosecution did not oppose the application on very strong or special grounds”.
The senior advocate said “For example, a man notorious for stealing or rape will not enjoy favourable exercise of discretion of the court”.
Another legal practitioner, Emmanuel Ejeh, tended to agree with Mr. Awomolo’s submission. He told PREMIUM TIMES that courts consider factors including the accused person’s criminal history, the content of the allegation and the prosecution’s strength of arguments in determining bail applications.
“Bail bonds should not become a disguised punishment for an accused person. It should not be considered punishment ahead of trial”, he stressed.
“A bail bond is just a statement; it is not a fine. What it means is that if the accused jumps bail, his surety will be punished by having him pay the bail bond.
“The court could also ask that the accused person’s surety to deposit things like landed property. It all depends on if the court thinks the man is likely to jump bail. If he is, the court will demand something substantial,” said Mr. Ejeh.
Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rotimi Jacobs, said the only thing that matters to the court in exercising its discretion on the issue is that the accused will be in attendance at all sittings of the trial.
Photo credit: PM News Nigeria
“What is paramount is that there is the likelihood that the person will attend the trial. Because it is discretionary, one case cannot be an example for the other,” he said.
The explanation by the lawyers could mean that in the case of the teenager, Mr. Gbadebo, the judge made the bail sum so high because he was less sure the accused would be able to attend trial. It could also explain why former minister Orubebe got less stringent bail conditions than junior civil servants though they were accused of the same crime.
Mr. Jacobs, who is a counsel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in several high-profile cases, however added that Nigeria should explore other ways of ensuring that suspects attend trial.
He argued that the current practice of demanding sums of money, landed property, and the submission of international passports, among other things, was inadequate.
The discretionary nature of the bail system is opposed by a civil society group, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL.
“We cannot be manipulated by the discretion of the judges. The law should apply equally to the poor as to politically exposed persons,” Debo Adeniran, the group’s leader said, while supporting the ongoing clampdown on judicial corruption by the federal government.
“The politically exposed persons have the financial capacity to employ the services good lawyers that can canvass their cases well; than the downtrodden people rely on lawyers to canvass their plight on pro-bono.
“The judges sometimes misapply their discretions based on the inducements they get from accused persons.
“That is why the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders is very happy with what is going on in the judiciary. The reform in the judiciary should ensure specific pronouncements against certain offences,” the activist said.
An Abuja High Court on Tuesday granted bail to a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed.
Mr. Mohammed was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on October 24, on allegations of fraud.
He remained in the custody of the commission despite an earlier administrative bail granted him by the EFCC.
Justice Hussein Yusuf had on November 25 adjourned hearing of an application for Mr. Mohammed’s bail.
The former minister’s lawyer, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, told PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday that the court granted the application.
“The bail was granted this afternoon, with the same conditions in the administrative bail. He is expected to produce two sureties; who must be of the directorate cadre in the Nigerian Civil Service.
“They are also expected to have landed properties in Abuja,” said Mr. Uche.
Efforts to reach the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, to confirm the bail and whether the commission would release Mr. Mohammed once the conditions are met, were unsuccessful. His telephone line was switched off.
Mr. Mohammed was Abuja minister in the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
Sources in the EFCC had told PREMIUM TIMES that the commission is investigation several petitions accusing the former minister of hundreds of billions of naira land fraud while in office.
Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Godwin Obla, were on Monday arraigned at an Ikeja High Court over alleged corruption.
Mr. Obla, and Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, a serving judge of the Federal High Court, Lagos, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr. Obla is also a prosecutor for the EFCC.
The duo were jointly charged with a two-count charge of perverting the course of justice by the anti-graft agency.
However, they pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Mr. Obla was charged with an additional two counts of offering gratification in the sum of N5 million to Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, a public official during her service as a judge.
He also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia faces a 26-count charge of unlawful enrichment, taking property by a public officer, corruption by a public officer, forgery and giving false information to an official of the EFCC.
But she also denied the charges.
According to the EFCC, Mr. Obla, on May 21, 2015, intentionally transferred N5 million to Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia via his Obla and Co United Bank of Africa (UBA) account with number: 1015319084 in order to refrain her from acting in her official duties.
Justice John Tsoho of an Abuja Federal High Court, on Monday granted a Supreme Court judge, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta bail in the sum of N100m.
Justice Ngwuta is one of the judges arrested by the Department of State Services, DSS, on October 8 over allegations of bribery and professional misconduct.
The judge was earlier arraigned before the Justice Tsoho-led court on a 16-count charges bordering on money laundering and professional misconduct.
Tsoho said the bail sum was based on self-recognisance of Ngwuta as a serving justice of the Supreme Court.
He gave the ruling after listening to the bail arguments by both lawyers of the accused and the Federal Government.
“I hold the offence is bailable. I hereby rule that the defendant be granted bail in the sum of N100m in self-recognisance,” Tsoho said.
Earlier, Federal Government’s counsel, Charles Adeogun-Philips had informed the court that the sum of N27m found in the bathroom of the accused judge was removed.
Proceedings in the planned arraignment of Angela Uwakwem, Emmanuel Ajayi and his company, Swiss Biostadt Limited, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,, began on a controversial note Tuesday as Justice Florence Duruoha Igwe of the Imo State High court Owerri granted the accused persons bail without first taking their plea.
Her lordship upheld the arguments of the defence counsel, Chukwuma Ekomaru (SAN), that the accused persons cannot take their plea until the application challenging the jurisdiction of the court is determined, a statement by EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said.
Prosecuting counsel, Mainforce Ekwu had argued that the correct position of the law was that the plea of the accused persons be taken before the application for bail can be considered, and only then can the objection to quash the charges for lack of jurisdiction be heard.
But Justice Igwe ruled in favour of the accused.
“I am minded to consider the application challenging the jurisdiction of the court before taking the plea of the accused persons, and will also take the accused motion for bail before their arraignment and plea,” the Judge said.
In view of the ruling, Mr. Ekomaru (SAN), and Ugeh S. Ogidi, counsel for the first and second accused respectively, moved their motions for bail for the accused persons.
The court granted the accused persons bail, and ruled that each of the accused produce one surety each, with landed property in Owerri and evidence of two years tax clearance, and must each enter a bond of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira only).
Justice Igwe then adjourned to January 24, 2017, to consider the motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
Mr. Uwakwem is in court for awarding several inflated contracts to a company called Swiss Biostadt Limited, belonging to the second accused Mr. Ajayi.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted spokesperson for the Goodluck Jonathan campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode bail in the sum of N50m, The Cable reports.
Fani-Kayode was arraigned before Justice James Tsoho on Thursday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m.
While delivering his judgment, Tsoho granted the bail request of Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, Afedayo Adedipe (SAN), stating that the offence was bailable.
The judge fixed December 14, for the commencement of trial.
A Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Thursday slammed a one million naira bail on a 33-year-old man, Roland Olise, for alleged defilement of a six-year-old girl in a church in Lagos.
Olise, whose address was not provided, pleaded not guilty to a one-count charge of defilement.
The Chief Magistrate, Ipaye Nwachukwu, ordered the accused to produce two sureties in like sum.
Nwachukwu said one of the surety must be a property owner in Lagos State, while the other must be a civil servant on grade level 14.
She said the sureties must provide evidence of tax payments to the government, and adjourned the case till Jan. 19, 2017 for mention.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Anthonia Osayande, told the court that the accused committed the offence at a church at Ajah-Lekki Area in Lagos at about 6.00 p.m on Oct. 21.
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Osayande said the accused, who was a church worker, was in church and he saw the six-year-old girl passing and he called her into the church where there wasn’t any body around and defiled her.
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She said that the girl knew the man as the church was there family church and that was why she comfortably entered the church with him.?
The offence contravened Sections 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
Five days after he was arrested, a former presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, is still in custody because he is unable to satisfy his bail conditions, PREMIUM TIMES understands.
Mr. Abati, a columnist, was arrested on Monday by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on allegations of financial impropriety to the tune of N50 million.
When operatives questioned him about how he spent the funds, Mr. Abati reportedly said he disbursed it to media practitioners in his capacity as the spokesman for the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
But he said he did not keep records of the disbursement when queried for evidence.
The journalist was subsequently granted an administrative bail that requires presenting a senior federal civil servant —preferably a director— with landed properties in Abuja.
“He will be released when he meets his bail conditions,” a source within the EFCC informed PREMIUM TIMES Friday.
Also in EFCC custody is Bala Mohammed, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who was taken into custody shortly after Mr. Abati’s arrest on Monday.
But Mr. Mohammed’s case is said to be more complicated, and he may not be released anytime soon.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the EFCC has procured a remand order from a court to hold Mr. Mohammed for a while.
He faces allegations of land racketeering which EFCC said came in several petitions from citizens who dealt with Mr. Mohammed while he was a minister.
Mr. Mohammed was said to have sold government land to private individuals and received pay for the transaction in cash. PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify those allegations claims.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has allegedly linked Justice Ademola’s arrest with the unconditional bail he had earlier granted Nnamdi Kanu which the Federal Government rejected.
A statement from IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group noted that Kanu has spent one year in detention illegally while the court of competent jurisdiction granted him unconditional release on 16th and 17th December 2015 by magistrate and federal high court Abuja but since then federal government, APC and the DSS were still holding him and others in prison custody.
He urged Biafrans to be resolute and determine towards the restoration of the God’s own project which is Biafra republic, saying that the project was ordained by God Almighty.
Powerful stated that Biafra will be a country where people of Africa will benefit, ‘the Africa will be technologically, economically, politically and spiritually free through the new republic’.
“However, we are aware of the systematic way of delaying the members of IPOB who were detained illegally in all the prisons and security cells across the country”.
In a related development, Kanu as sued the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Department of State Services (DSS) for contempt of court over failure of the federal government to release him from detention.
On December 17, 2015, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, a judge of the Federal High Court ordered Kanu’s unconditional release of Kanu.
In a statement at the weekend, Ifeanyi Ejiojor, counsel to Kanu, linked the continued detention of the IPOB leader to President Muhammadu Buhari’s comment at the presidential media chat on December 30, 2015, where he said no court would grant him bail.
“The order made on December 17, 2016 by Justice A.F.A. Ademola, directing the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu was served on the Department of State Services (DSS) that same day the order was made,” he said.
“Still, the DSS failed, refused and/or neglected to obey the order directing the unconditional release of Kanu, apparently due to reasons best known to them, which has no justification under any law.
IPOB said none of the affected institutions of the government affected by the order or the Federal Government has lodged an appeal against the order directing the unconditional release of Kanu.
Ademola was one of the judges arrested by the DSS on Saturday on the allegation of corruption.
“Nevertheless, it comes as a surprise on Friday 7th October 2016 at exactly 11:45am we received information that the Biafra land national coordinator of the indigenous people of Biafra Mr.Chidiebere Onwudiwe who have been arrested by DSS was called up in the federal high court Abuja court 7 of Justice Ademola without the prosecutors been in court to defend the matter against Chidiebere Onwudiwe” he stated.
“The DSS being the prosecutor of the matter were nowhere to be found in the court on Friday 7th October, they are running because Chidiebere Onwudiwe committed no crime against humanity or the federal government of Nigeria” Powerful stated.
“Comrade Chidiebere Onwudiwe was arrested in the odd hour of midnight in Igweocha (PH) Rivers state where he was sleeping on Friday 22nd June 2016 still detained in DSS cell incommunicado and have not been taking to any court since 128 days”.
“The lawyer incharge of the matter Bar, Ifeanyi Ejiofor who filled motion for his bail in the federal high court 7 Abuja. The chief judge Ademola who adjourned the matter to be on Tuesday 11th October for hearing because the DSS did not produce mazi Chidiebere Onwudiwe the national coordinator of the indigenous people of Biafra IPOB Biafraland in court” said powerful.
Meanwhile, a political pressure group, Concerned Abians for Good Governance and Justice (CAGGJ) has commended the Department of State Services (DSS) over last weekend’s arrest of some senior Judges across the country and their subsequent arraignment yesterday for alleged corrupt practices.
This is even as the group flayed what it described as the ignoble role played by Gov Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in the failed attempt to arrest a Federal High Court Judge in Port Harcourt by operatives of the DSS.
In a statement by its chairman, Egwu D. Uwa, CAGGJ said Nigerians have for years be yearning for a day like this, when men no matter how highly placed would be made to account for what they have done with what were entrusted in their care.
Uwa said as far as his group was concerned, what the DSS operatives did was what Nigerians had been yearning for over the years, stressing that it was only those who benefitted from what have been happening in the judiciary over the years that would condemn the action.
CAGGJ regretted that most of the politics-related judgments delivered after the 2015 general elections were cash induced, saying no nation would grow politically if this anomaly was not checked.
“It was glaringly clear that most of the politics-related judgments delivered since after the2015 general elections were cash and carry judgments and no good government that what its salt will sit idly and watch things like this go on and that is why we are commending the DSS for this bold step”.
Uwa said it was unfortunate that those who are condemning the modus-operandi the DSS operatives adopted in arresting the Judges, have closed their eyes to the huge cash recovered for the houses of the arrested judges.
Wondering where the Judges got such huge amount of money in both local and foreign currencies, Uwa opined that if the operatives of the DSS had not adopted such method, the deliveries could not have been made.
CAGGJ condemned Gov Wike’s action in allegedly using some party loyalists to stop the arrest of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, saying the action was capable of sending wrong signals to the public.
CAGGJ said if Wike had no special interest in the Judge, he wouldn’t have left the Government House at about 1.30am to ensure that the said Judge was not arrested.
“We don’t think if Gov Wike had no interest in the particular Judge, he would have left Government House by the time he did to ensure that the Judge was not arrested. Again his efforts in trying to defend the Judge over the amount alleged to be in his house, left much to be desired”, Uwa said.
Justice Jude Okeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, has revoked the bail granted to Solomon Yakubu Ndam, a former staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, who is standing trial on a 13 count charge of forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N5, 540,000.00 (five million, five hundred and forty thousand naira) brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ndam allegedly obtained the money from some unsuspecting persons, claiming that he would help them acquire plots of land being sold by PHCN.
The offence is punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Cap 532, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990.
However, the accused was granted bail by the court after he was arraigned on July 7, 2015 and the case went into trial.
The decision of the court to revoke his bail today was informed by the application by his surety, Tijani Haruna, to withdraw without giving the court any reason.
Justice Okeke, in granting his application, ruled that the accused person be remanded in Kuje prison pending the time he would get a new surety, adding that all documents belonging to Haruna be returned to him.
Thereafter, counsel to EFCC, Samuel Okeleke, entered his fifth prosecution witness, Olushola Adewumi.
Adewumi, a staff of the First Bank of Nigeria Plc, said he received a subpoena to produce certain documents and witness in the case.
“All customer details are captured in the bank’s database and we also demand that the customer furnish us with bank mandates which include his pictures, names and signature.
“We also produced the certificate of identification of the customer and the name of the account is Babatunde Kolawole”, Adewumi stated.
Justice Okeke adjourned to November 28, 2016 for ruling, while fixing October 25, 2016 for continuation of trial.
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja has granted bail at N50million to former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe and two others arraigned before it Wednesday morning.
Godsday Orubebe, Oludare Lawrence Alaba an Assistant Director, Ministry of Niger Delta Affiars), Ephraim Tewolde Zeri (Director of Contracts in Gitto Costruzioni Generali Nigeria Limited) and the company were arraigned on a six-count charge marked: CR/265/2016.
They are, in the charge filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), accused among others, of diverting about N2.3b meant for the compensation of property owners to be affected by the Federal Government’s dualisation project of Section IV of the East West Road.
Orubebe and others pleaded not guilty to the charge, following which Justice Kayode Adeniyi granted the ex-Minister bail at N10m and one surety, who must be a responsible Nigerian, resident in Abuja and must show evidence of regular tax payment.
The judge granted Alaba and Zeri bail at N20m and one surety each, who are to be residents in Abuja. He said Alaba’s surety must be an Assistant Director in any Federal Government’s agency, while Zeri’s surety must own property in Abuja and show evidence of ownership.
Justice Adeniyi ordered the defendants to be kept in ICPC’s custody pending when they are able to process the bail granted them.
He adjourned to November 10 for commencement of trial.
A Surulere Chief Magistrates’? Court in Lagos on Friday granted bail to a 40-year-old man, Friday James, in the sum of N500,000 for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old girl.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Ipaye Nwachukwu, ordered the accused to provide two sureties in like sum.
Nwachukwu said that one of the sureties must be blood relation of the accused while the other must not be a civil servant not below GL-14.
She said that the accused must deposit N100, 000 to the chief registrar’s account, and adjourned the case till Sept. 9 for mention.
James, a resident of No. 15B, Onakoye Str., Sari-Iganmu, Lagos, pleaded not guilty to a one-count charge of defilement.
Prosecutor Anthonia Osanyade told the court that the accused committed the offence at Sari-Iganmu, Lagos, at about 6.00 p.m., on Aug. 20.
Osanyade said that the accused sent the girl to buy N20 pure water for him.
“On her arrival, James dragged her into his room when she stretched her hand to give him his change and forcefully had sex with her,’’ she said.
She said ?the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
Former Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has been granted bail by an Abuja court.
Mr. Fintiri was remanded on Thursday, following his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering.
The EFCC accuses him of defrauding the Adamawa government to the tune of N970 million and 4.8 million dollars when he was the governor of the state for three months.
Mr. Fintiri pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed granted him a N500 million bail on Thursday, ordering that Mr. Fintiri provides two sureties in like sum.
The sureties must have properties in any part of Abuja, and titled documents of the properties are to be submitted to the court registrar.
Mr. Fintri is to also submit his international passport to the court registrar.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned a former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu, before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Mr. Amosu, a retired Air Marshal, was arraigned alongside Jacob Adigun, an Air Vice Marshal, and Gbadebo Olugbenga, an Air Commodore on a 26-count of stealing about N50 billion.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The judge granted them bail in the sum of N500 million each.
Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on Monday granted bail in the sum of N500,000 to a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Raymond Omatseye, who was convicted of contract scam.
The judge had on May 20, 2016 convicted Omatseye of severally awarding contracts above the threshold stipulated by the Bureau of Public Procurement while he was NIMASA DG and sentenced him to five years imprisonment.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia had found Omatseye guilty of 24 out of the 27 counts pressed against him by the EFCC and sentenced him to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.
But three days after the judgment, Omatseye, through his lawyer, Mr. Olusina Sofola (SAN), approached the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, describing the judgment as unreasonable and urged the higher court to overturn it.
He later asked Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia to release him on bail on self recognition pending the hearing and determination of his appeal.
Omatseye’s lawyer, Sofola, had told Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia that his client had raised “substantial and arguable issues” in his notice of appeal, which he believed were capable of making the appellate court to overrule his conviction and sentence.
Sofola also said keeping Omatseye in prison would deprive his children of parental care, which he had been providing for three of them in the absence of their mother, who, he said, was in the United Kingdom looking after one of their children suffering from “severe medical conditions.”
According to Sofola, the said child of Omatseye was being treated in the UK for “epilepsy, atypical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with mitral regurgitation, atrial fibrillation and enuresis.”
He said the said child also had difficulty in learning and was suffering from myriads of other medical conditions, which often prevent him from sleeping at night.
Sofola added, “With the applicant’s wife staying with their sick child in the UK for purposes of proximity to the attending hospital and specialised health care, it has become the responsibility of the applicant to provide parental care for their remaining three children in the absence of their mother, which has now been affected by his conviction and subsequent remand at the Ikoyi prison to serve the sentence imposed on him by this honourable court.”
Sofola said Omatseye, who is a lawyer with 28 years post-call experience, was prepared to expeditiously pursue his appeal, as he intended to quickly clear his name, so that he would be able to “protect and preserve his ability to remain a legal practitioner.”
But in opposition to the bail application, the EFCC, through its lawyer, Mrs. Kehinde Bode-Ayeni, urged Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia not to grant Omatseye bail, saying there were no exceptional and unusual circumstances to warrant granting the bail.
“The defendant/applicant has failed to show any special circumstances or reason to enable this honourable court exercise its discretion in his favour to admit the defendant/applicant to bail. We, therefore, urge this honourable court to dismiss this application,” Bode-Ayeni said.
The EFCC further argued that Omatseye’s bail application was based on “pity and extraneous circumstances,” adding that a person who had been convicted had already lost the presumption of innocence.
While urging Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia to turn down Omatseye’s request for bail, the anti-graft agency said all the issues raised by the convict could be addressed by the Court of Appeal.
But in a ruling on Monday, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia discountenanced the EFCC’s objection and granted Omatseye bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties, the judge said, must be a civil servant on not below Level 16 in the employ of the state or Federal Government.
She asked Omatseye to deposit his passport with the Chief Registrar of the court, pending the decision of the Court of Appeal.
Jude Ndukwe, aide to erstwhile Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Tuesday, decried that despite meeting the bail conditions set by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Fani-Kayode was still being held by the anti-graft agency.
Ndukwe in a statement condemned the continued detention of the former minister by the EFCC, describing it as a tactics to keeping key and vocal members of the opposition out of circulation without due regard to Nigerian laws.
The statement read: “This tactics of keeping key and vocal members of the opposition out of circulation without due regard to our laws and or harass them with charges that cannot stand the test of judicial requirements has got to stop. The sweet smelling savour of democracy will be polluted when the opposition is stifled.
“The continued detention of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode in EFCC custody for this long, despite meeting his bail conditions goes a long way to show that this fight is not about corruption after all, but all about silencing the opposition.
“We condemn in very strong terms these acts of intimidation and harassment and request that he (Chief Fani-Kayode) be released forthwith, even as we call on all well-meaning Nigerians to know who to hold responsible should anything untoward happen to Chief Femi Fani-Kayode!
“This act of executive rascality, at a time when Nigerians are groaning more than ever before over the economic hardship inflicted on them by this administration, is needless. It will achieve nothing but will only lead to a puerile end.”
Embattled Nollywood actress and former President of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima has been granted bail.
She was released on 2million naira bail from Kirikiri according to reports. The actress was released in the early hour of today under unconfirmed conditions.
Ibinabo is expected to present two sureties of like sum residing within the jurisdiction of the court, and they must both be a property owner in Lagos state.
She was represented by a team of new counsel led by Adeyemi Muiz Banire (SAN), former commissioner in Lagos state for twelve consecutive years
The actress was recently slammed a 5-year jail term by the Court of Appeal in Lagos after losing an appeal over the death of one Dr Giwa Suraj who she allegedly killed in an auto accident along Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos, 10 years ago.
Justice Jamilu Yammama Tukur of the Appeal court said he was granting the actress bail pending the determination of a suit filed by her at the Supreme court.
A magistrate court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has granted bail to one Pastor Gabriel Josaya, (a.k.a Eli-Wakuku), the founder of St Moses Orimolade Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Osere area, Ilorin, who was allegedly caught with human heads some weeks ago.
In her ruling, Magistrate Kehinde A. Yahaya, who also ruled on bail application on other two accused persons, Gabriel Moyosore and Yinusa Sa’ad Ayinla, said the accused persons were granted bail in the sum of N2 million each with sureties, who must be civil servants on Grade Level 14 and above.
She said the sureties must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.
The accused persons were, however, not in court because the Prison Service authority informed the court that they couldn’t get fuel to transport them to court.
It was alleged that on February 5, Eli-Wakuku conspired with Moyosore, Ayinla and Alfa Alaba Isiaka (now at large) and others to exhume corpses at the Muslim burial ground and remove the heads of the dead.
They were accused of unlawfully gaining entry into the Muslim cemetery in Osere area of Ilorin, since 2009 till date, where some human skulls were allegedly removed by them which they sold to various customers at the rate of N8,000 per skull.
They were charged with criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass and unlawful possession of human heads, offences contrary to sections 97, 348, and 219 of the penal code.
Respite came for Nollywood star Ibinabo Febrisima, as Appeal Court sitting in Lagos granted her bail .
The Appeal court said it was granting the actress bail pending the determination of a suit filed by her at the Supreme court.
Ibinabo was recently slammed a 5-year jail term by the Court of Appeal in Lagos with Justice Jamilu Yammama Tukur saying that the appeal was shallow and lacked merit.
She (Ibinabo) was alleged to have collided with the car of a staff of Lagos State hospital, Giwa Suraj as a result of reckless driving on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in February, 2006.
Robert Nyong, the Managing Director of Lekki Garden Homes was on Thursday granted bail on self-recognition by Chief Magistrate Afolashade Botoku of an an Ebute Meta Court.
She had slammed a bail of N10 million with two sureties on Taiwo Odofin, one of the contractors of the collapsed building.
She ordered that the duo should report at the State Criminal Investigations and lntelligence Department, SCIID, Panti-Yaba, between the hours of 10.00 a.m., and 5.00 p.m., everyday untll the police investigations were concluded.
She asked them to submit their international passports and should not travel out of the country untill the case was concluded.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Botoku had on March 11 ordered the remand of Robert Nyong, MD of Lekki Garden Homes and Taiwo Odofin, one of the contractors handling the project at their first arraignment following a remand application brought before it by the police.
Nyong is the owner of the five-storey building that collapsed in Lekki area of the state which killed 35 poeople.
The police had urged the court to remand the two defendants pending when they would conclude investigations.
When the case came up on March 23 to hear their bail application, the police had failed to produce the accused and Botoku frowned at the attitude of police.
At the hearing, Botoku, who stood down the case for an hour, ordered the policemen to produce the accused before their bail applications could be heard.
The prosecution led by Mr Goddey Osuyi from the Police Legal Department, informed the court that the police failed to produce the two accused due to an intelligence report that that some hoodlums had planned to attack the court.
Osuyi had said that in the interest of safety, it was not advisable for the police to bring the accused to court.
Lawyers to the accused, Mr Olabode Olanipekun and Mr A. Uwangboje told the court that the prosecutor had informed them earlier before the court sitting and urged the court to apply its judicial discretion in entertaining the excuse.
Botoku, in her ruling, disagreed with the police submission, saying that the court will not submit to a threat, which is the duty of police to ensure that adequate security was provided.
She adjourned the case to March 24, and ordered police to ensure the the two accused were present in court.
NAN reports that the court had on March 11 granted an ex-parte application brought before it by the police, seeking to remand the two accused in its custody pending conclusion of investigation.
A Gudu Upper Area Court in Abuja on Wednesday admitted Ibrahim Ali to bail in the sum of N300, 000 for alleged rape of a 10 year-old girl.
The presiding officer, Umar Kagarko, said the court admitted the defendant to bail because of the number of days he spent in custody during interrogation.
Kagarko ordered Ali to produce a reliable surety in like sum.
He said the surety must be a public servant with a reasonable grade level and reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
He adjourned the case till May 31 for hearing.
Ali of Bwari was arraigned on a two-count charge of rape, threat and criminal intimidation.
The Prosecutor, Olajide Olanipekun, told the court that Saadiya Haliru of Shere Bwari, reported the matter at Bwari Police Station on Feb. 9.
He said that Ali had on Jan 25, had unlawful and forceful carnal knowledge of her without her consent.
Olanipekun said that the incident took place at an uncompleted building at Shere village, Bwari in FCT.
The prosecutor said police investigations revealed that Ali also threatened to kill the girl if she told anybody about it.
He said Ali had confessed to the crime, adding that the offence contravened Sections 283 and 397 of the Penal Code.
A Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Monday, granted bail in the sum of N3 million and two sureties in like sum to Daihiru Yunusa, aka “Yellow,” who is standing trial on a five count charge of criminal abduction and sexual exploitation of a minor, Miss Ese Oruru.
Trial judge in the matter, Justice H. Nganjiwa, while ruling on the bail application, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody until the bail conditions are fulfilled and adjourned the case to April 19 for hearing on the motion for secret trial filed by the prosecution, by Mr. Kenneth Dike.
Yunusa in court According to the bail conditions reeled out by the court, the defence counsel shall undertake that they will provide the accused person in court for trial, while one of the sureties must be a renowned title holder in the community and the other, a public servant from level 12 and above.
Both sureties must be resident in Bayelsa State and must submit their three years tax clearance certificate, while the public servant must also submit a letter of first appointment and last promotion letter. Reacting to the bail conditions, defence lead counsel Mr. Kayode Olaosebekan, said they were grateful to the court for the ruling.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted Nigeria’s former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, a N2 billion bail.
Judge Okon Abang ruled that Mr. Badeh presents two Abuja-based sureties with N1 billion each, in addition to surrendering his international passport.
Mr. Badeh is facing corruption charges, accused of receiving N3.9 billion as part of $2.1 billion arms money allegedly diverted by former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
He denies the allegation.
On Thursday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said it recovered $1 million from Mr. Badeh’s apartment, a claim the former defence chief strongly denied.
The prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, said the money was found in one of the properties confiscated from Mr. Badeh.
But Mr. Badeh’s lawyer, Samuel Zibiri, said the claim was to seek “media hype”.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro and two others accused of defrauding graduate applicants to the tune of N675m in the March 15, 2014 National Immigration Services recruitment exercise.
Justice Anwuli Chikere granted bail to Moro on self-recognition, but imposed on the two others, bail sum of N100m each with one surety in like sum.
All the accused persons including Moro are, however, to deposit their passports and other travel documents with the court registrar throughout the period of their trial.
The other accused persons, who were granted bail, are a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia?, and former director in the ministry, Mr. F.O Alayebami.
Moro, Daniel-Nwobia and Alayebami? were on Monday arraigned along with the firm contracted to execute the recruitment exercise, Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.
The prosecution said one of the suspect, Mahmood Ahmadu, who was also involved in the alleged scam was on the run.
Shortly after they pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday, Justice Chikere had remanded Moro and Alayebami in prison pending the hearing and determination of their bail applications.
The judge had on the other hand, allowed Daniel-Nwobia to continue enjoying the administrative bail earlier granted to her by the EFCC.
Moro and Alayebami were, however, ordered to remain in prison until they would be able to meet the bail conditions.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Olisa Metuh has been released on bail.
Mr Metuh walked out of Kuje Prisons on Thursday afternoon after meeting the bail conditions given to him by the court.
A Federal High Court had on Wednesday, varied the bail conditions given to Mr Olisa Metuh.
Justice Okon Abang, signed his release warrant, upon being satisfied with the verification of the details of the two sureties provided by the accused and the title documents of the property owned by the sureties.
The verification exercise was done by the Chief Registrar of the court with the involvement of the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, whom the judge directed must verify the residential addresses of the two sureties.
A court official confirmed to our correspondent that Metuh met the bail conditions and presented the necessary documents just before the close of work on Thursday.
Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, changed his earlier order that the sureties must be property owners in the Maitama area of Abuja only to an order that the two sureties must be owners of properties in any area of the Federal Capital Territory.
He, however, retained the sum of bail which he put at 400 million Naira.
Justice Abang declined the request of the prosecution, who asked the court to expunge him as part of the verification exercise of the bail conditions on the ground that it is not in his place to make orders for the court.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to the spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, on the condition that he pays N400 million as bond.
Mr. Metuh is to also submit his international passport, and must provide two sureties with N200 million each. The sureties must have properties in Maitama district of Abuja.
He is accused of receiving N400 million from an arms money diverted by the office of the National Security Adviser.
Mr. Metuh has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for about two weeks.
The PDP spokesperson was taken to court earlier on Tuesday in handcuffs.
Metuh who is facing a 7-count charge of corruption and money laundering, was last week Friday, remanded in Kuje prison by an Abuja Federal High Court.
Hours after being charged by authorities in Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County with aggravated indecent assault, Bill Cosby arrived in court Wednesday afternoon for his arraignment. The 78-year-old comedian, who stepped out in what many would agree to be a very Cosby sweater, arrived with a cane as he entered the Elkins Park courtroom. ABC News reports that his bail was set at $1 million. Cosby, who turned over his passport to the court, did not enter a plea.
Following the court hearing, Cosby reported to the Cheltenham Police Department, where he was processed and fingerprinted. The Montgomery County Sheriff has since released Cosby’s official mug shot:
People reports that Cosby, who was arrested early Wednesday morning for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in January 2004, was released on bail after posting 10 percent in cash.
Cosby’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 14, 2016.
Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) counsel to the EFCC, told an FCT High Court on Wednesday that considering the gravity of the charges against Yuguda, Dasuki, Salisu and other defendants, it was risky to grant them bail.
Yuguda, former Minister of state for Finance is standing trial alongside Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) former National Security Adviser (NSA) and Shuaibu Salisu, former Director of Finance in the office of the NSA.
Also named as defendants in the case were former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, his son Sagir Attahiru and their company Dalhatu Investment Limited.
They were arraigned by the EFCC on a 22-count charge of alleged criminal breach of trust and diversion of public funds amounting to N19.5 billion.
At the resumed hearing of the bail application filed by the defendant lawyers, Jacobs, told the court that going by nature of the charges against them and the proof of evidence, it would be risky to grant them bail.
“If they were granted bail, they may not be available to stand trial because the count in the charge attracts 10 years in prison.
“The tendency for the accused to jump bail is high,” he said.
Jacobs argued that at the time the defendants answered EFCC`s invitation, they were not aware of the gravity of the offences against them.
“My lord, granting them bail will send a wrong signal to the public; it is even a risk to release them because many soldiers had died.
“Their families feel the pains as a result of the actions of the accused persons because N19.5 billion that was meant to buy arms for soldiers to fight insurgency was diverted, ‘’ he added.
Jacobs prayed the court to reject all the submissions canvassed by the defence lawyers as they were not fit enough to stand as cogent reason to warrant bail.
He therefore urged the court to refuse the bail application in the interest of justice.
In his argument, counsel to Yuguda, Mr Peter Akpe (SAN), said that the offences which his client was standing trial for were bailable.
He said that his client was granted administrative bail by the EFCC and he did not jump bail.
He therefore urged the court to grant his client bail on most liberal terms.
In his submission, counsel to Dasuki, Mr Ahmed Raji (SAN), said it was discretionary power of a judge to grant bail either on self recognition or in the most liberal terms.
He said that the fact that the prosecution had further investigation to carry out should not deny his client bail.
He therefore urged the court to grant Dasuki bail in self recognition as it was the case in the Federal High Court, Abuja where he was granted bail on self recognition.
On their part, counsel to Bafarawa, his son Sagir and their company Dalhatu Investment Ltd and Salisu unanimously urged the court to admit their clients bail on liberal terms.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has released the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mr Nnamdi Kanu on bail.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola admitted him to bail unconditionally while ruling in an application filed and argued by his lawyer Vincent Obeta.
In the ruling, Justice Ademola who had last month granted permission to the Department of State Service to detain Mr Kanu for 90 days, set aside the order.
According to him, the continued detention of Mr Kanu after two months without trial violates Section 158 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution.
A federal high court sitting in Abuja this afternoon admitted the embattled former Chairman, Daar Communications, Dr. Raymond Dokpsi to a N200 Million bail.
The court ordered that to perfect the bail conditions, Dokpesi must produce 2 sureties in like sum who must be directors either retired or serving in either public or private sector. Those serving must show letter of appointment.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole ordered that any further invitation for any further investigation must be through his lawyers giving 48 hours ahead of time.
Dokpesi’s international passport must be deposited with court registrars and sureties must deposit their own passport photograph.
Dokpesi is charged along with his company – Daar Holding and Investment Limited by the EFCC on a six count criminal charge.
They are accused of violating the Money Laundering Act, the EFCC Act and the Public Procurement Act.
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday granted bail to former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, arraigned before the court for illegal possession of firearms.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Adeniyi Ademola granted Dasuki bail on self-recognition, after he pleaded not guilty.
However, the judge directed Dasuki to submit his passport to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court.
The Department of State Service (DSS) arraigned the former NSA on a one-count charge of illegal possession of arms, contrary to Section 27(1Ai) of the Firearms Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Mohammed Diri, told the court that during a search on the accused person’s resident on July 16, the items were found in his possession.
The director-general of the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Onyeka Onwenu, has finally honoured the invitation of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the alleged N17million contract bribe and was granted administrative bail.
According to a reliable source at the ICPC office, the NCWD DG appeared before the anti-graft agency on Monday and after answering some questions, she was allowed to go home on recognition, while investigation into the alleged bribe continues.
The source, however, would not confirm the outcome of the investigation on whether the renowned songstress was indicted or not but promised to make the matter public when the need arises.
The NCWD boss had declined to appear to before the anti-corruption agency when invited last week, claiming that she had to attend to her health first.
Justice Olayinka Faji of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on Friday, granted bail to five employees of three commercial banks involved in the N8 billion mutilated currency scam.
However, the court denied bail to 10 others, including three employees of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The five officials are Ademola Adewale of Wema Bank; Kehinde Fatokun, Olukunle Sijuade of First City Monument Bank and Ajuwon Bolade and Samuel Ogbeide of Zenith Bank.
The accused were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges bordering on fraud, forgery and violation of the bank employees code of conduct.
The three CBN staff are Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Adeola, and Togun Philip.
Others include, Isaq Akano, Ayodele Adeyemi, Oyebamiji Akeem, Ayodeji Aleshe and Ajiwe Adegoke, all of First Bank Plc and Oni Dolapo and Afolabi Olunike of Wema Bank.
Delivering his ruling on the bail applications made by the accused persons, Faji said that the prosecution failed to establish a strong case against the five for which they should be denied bail.
He said that while the court could grant or deny bail based on its discretion, bail applications could be denied if prosecution could prove that trial could be hampered if bail was granted.
“The prosecution had not proven well enough that these five accused could attempt to jeopardise the case by concealing evidence or influencing witnesses.
“Although the offences, herein, in my view are grave as it affects the economy, yet considering the proof of evidence before me, the prosecution has no strong case against the five,” he said.
Faji, thereafter, granted each of the five accused bail in the sum of N20 million with two sureties in like sum.
The judge said that the sureties must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction and have landed property in Oyo State; in addition to possessing evidence of payment of three years tax.
On the other accused persons, Faji held that their statements to the police upon their arrest suggested some level of involvement in the offences against them.
“The amount of money found in their different bank accounts and the worth of property disclosed by them, which is above their proven income, suggest that there is a strong case against them.
“Although they complied with the EFCC when they were granted administrative bail, the same may not be said of them now that they know the gravity of what lies ahead,” he said.
He, therefore, denied them bail and ordered for accelerated trial.
22 bank officials are being prosecuted by the EFCC in seven different suits.
Three of the cases are before Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, while Faji is hearing four cases.
Faji adjourned hearing in the four suits to June 26, July 1 and July 10 while the one involving the CBN trio and the three Wema Bank employees is September 24 and September 25.
The countenances of staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and other commercial banks who are standing trial over alleged fraud running into billions of Naira fell yesterday as a Federal High Court in Ibadan refused their bail applications, describing their offence as mind-boggling and a capital offence against the nation’s economy.
According to the ruling, the offence which the court further described as a new dimension in economic crimes, has serious implications on the nation’s economy.
The accused persons last week, through their counsel, applied for bail saying they would neither jump bail nor influence the wheel of justice if granted bail. The court then adjourned till yesterday for ruling on the bail applications.
The CBN report which the anti-corruption agency, EFCC, acted upon states that “a systematic scheme, which has been on for several years, was being run in which mutilated higher denomination notes, originally meant for destruction, were swapped with lower denomination currencies. The practice, known as inter-leafing, basically labels a box with a higher value than its true content.”
While dismissing the bail applications filed by the accused at the sitting of the court yesterday, Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel said with the weight of the offences, they had failed to convince the court that they would not jump bail ordering all the suspects to be remanded in Agodi prisons pending their trial.
As the trial of some bankers, including the staff of Central Bank of Nigeria and some commercial banks over alleged fraud amounting to N8 billion continues, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has urged the Federal High Court in Ibadan to reject their bail applications, noting that the accused persons might jump bail due to the weighty allegations against them.
The anti-corruption agency, which was represented in court by Mr. Rotimi Jacobs and other retinue of lawyers, argued that if the accused persons were granted bail, they could obstruct the course of justice.
Another argument raised against the bail applications filed by the accused persons was that some of them were allegedly harassing the witnesses that could testify against them.
