The Abuja Federal High Court on Wednesday granted bail to 12 of the 15 suspects who allegedly invaded the residence of Supreme Court Judge Mary Odili.
The 15 defendants had pleaded not guilty to 18 charges, including forgery, burglary, intimidation, extortion, among others, related to their alleged invasion of Ms. Odili’s home in Abuja on October 29.
In ruling on the bail requests of 12 of the defendants, the trial judge, Nkeonye Maha, granted them bail in the amount of N5 million each.
Counsel for the prosecution, Mathew Omosun, did not object to requests for bail submitted by attorneys for the defendants.
As part of the conditions of the bond that they must meet to be released, the judge ordered the defendants to submit two bonds each.
The judge also ordered that the two bonds of each of the defendants must be responsible citizens, and one of them must own a property in Abuja with verified certificate of occupancy.
Ms Maha also ruled that the second guarantor must have gainful employment in Abuja, having paid his taxes for three years.
She said that the land ownership documents should be sent to the court registry.
The judge, who ordered the defendants to present their passports to the registry, ordered that all the defendants be sent to the Kuje Correctional Center pending the completion of the terms of their bail.
The judge noted that, although the prosecution did not object to the requests, this did not prevent the court from examining the merits of the matter based on the Supreme Court’s decision.
He said that he nonetheless granted the bail requests on the grounds that they were uncontested and were based on the evidence presented in court.
Three defendants were denied bail
Ms. Maha refused to release bail to defendants 11th (Mohammed Yahaya, Assistant Superintendent of Police), 14th (Abdullahi Adamu) and 15th (Abdullahi Usman) on the grounds that no request for release was made under bond with the court on your behalf.
The judge, who ordered that the three defendants be sent to preventive detention at the Kuje Correctional Center until the next hearing set for January 17 and January 18, 2022, for the start of the trial.
The Nigerian News Agency (NAN) reports that while the 11th defendant’s lawyer, Usman Jubrin, and the fifteenth defendant’s lawyer (Abdullahi Usman) submitted oral requests for bail, the fourteenth defendant had no legal representation in court. .
NAN reports that the federal government, through the Nigerian Police, had brought the 15 suspects before Ms. Maha to be indicted on 18 charges bordering on forgery, burglary, intimidation, extortion, among others. , contrary to sections of the law.
In the charge marked: FHC / ABJ / CR / 436/2021, it is also alleged that Ms Odili and members of her household were threatened while trying to execute an illegal search warrant.
Although 22 defendants are charged in the case, seven of them remain at large.
Some of the defendants prosecuted Lawrence Adjodo (aka Ola Ojo), Michael Diete-Spiff, Alex Onyekuru, Bayero Lawal (aka EFCC Director), Igwe Ernest, Aliyu Umar Ibrahim, Hajiya Maimuna Maishanu, Dr. Ayodele Akindipe (also known as Herbalist), Yusuf Adamu (also known as godson of Chief Peter Odili),
The rest are Bashir Musa, Mohammed Yahaya, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Stanley Nkwazema, Shehu Jibo, Abdullahi Adamu and Abdullahi Usman.
The seven overall defendants include Ike Ezekwe, a spear corporal, Mike, Sani Bala, Godwin Lucas, Solomon Bagudu, Austin M., and Michael M.
NAN reports that on November 11, the Police High Command paraded 14 suspects about the invasion of Ms. Odili’s Abuja residence, describing them as imposters unknown to the country’s security forces.
(YAYA)