Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Justice Zaniab Bage Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Kano, on Thursday, granted bail to the former Governor of Kano State and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential aspirant, Mallam Ibrahim Shekaru.
Also granted bail by the same court were the duo of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Aminu Wali and a former Deputy Director, Goodluck Presidential Campaign Organisation, North-West, Engr. Mansur Ahmed.
They were earlier docked in respect of the 2015 election campaign fund said to have been ‘illegally’ disbursed to aid the re-election of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Justice Abubakar granted the bail application for the sum of N100 million with two reliable sureties in like sums. The court also held that one of the sureties must be of the rank of a director in the state or Federal Civil Service while the other must be an owner of a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.
The three accused persons were also directed to submit their international passports with the Registrar of the court while the case was adjourned to June 26th, 2018 for trial
The accused persons had earlier denied the 6-count charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering brought against them by the Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The defense counsel, Barr. Sam Ologunorisa (SAN) had applied for their bail submitting that they had since 2016, been granted an administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and had not defaulted on their bail conditions.
In a counter response, the prosecution counsel, Barrister Johnson Ojugbane had submitted a 19 paragraph affidavit objecting to the bail application , saying that the application contradicted the provision of the Evidence Act He, however, conceded that bail was at the discretion of the court.
Following the ruling, the defense counsel appealed to the court not to remand his clients in prison custody pending the perfection of their bail conditions, a request that was not opposed to by the counsel to the Commission.
Meanwhile officers of the Nigeria Police had a hell of a time controlling the protesters who had gathered outside the court premises. The police exhausted several canisters of teargas on the protesters who chanted pro Shekarau slogans and rained abuses on the government of President Muhammad Buhari.