By FAITH OMORUYI A
Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday granted bail to eight of the indicted marketers in the oil subsidy scam probe. They had been arraigned last Friday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Lateefat Okunnu granted two of the oil marketers - Aro Bamidele and Abiodun Bankole bail in the sum of N100 million each with three sureties in like sum.
While canvassing for the bail application, the defence counsel, Anthony Idigbe (SAN) asked the court through two bail summons supported with a 17-paragraph and 18-paragraph affidavit respectively for bail in liberal terms. Though EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) did not oppose the bail application, asked the court to impose stringent conditions, to ensure that the defendants always appear for trial. Delivering ruling on the bail application, Justice Okunnu granted the application on the ground that a defendant was presumed innocent until found guilty by a competent court of law.
The court ordered that the defendants’ sureties swear to affidavit means indicating their financial details and that they could pay the bail bond. It added that the sureties must be resident in Lagos, two of which must have landed property in Lagos, while the third must be a Director in a public/ private registered company in Nigeria and must show evidence of tax payment for three years preceding the year of trial. Other orders were that an official of EFCC should within 72 hours of submission verify all particulars and thereafter swear an affidavit to this, while the court registrar must also verify all particulars.
It also ordered that they must not travel out of the country without the court’s permission and must deposit their international passports and report at the EFCC office at a specified date and time once every month throughout the duration of the trial. Meanwhile, a sister court, Justice Habeeb Abiru granted three of the marketers – Ifeanyi Anosike, Emeka Chukwu and Ngozi Ikeoma bail in the sum of N75 million and two sureties in like sum.
He ordered that the sureties must have landed properties in Lagos and they must be gainfully employed. In addition, the sureties were ordered to show evidence of tax payment for three years and all documents must be verified by an EFCC operative, while their international passports be deposited with the court. Justice Abiru also granted bail to three other suspects – Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Maula, George Ogbonna and Emmanuel Morah in the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum.
The sureties must be resident in Lagos, show evidence of three-year tax payment and have landed property worth not less than N50 million. The charges preferred against the marketers and their companies bordered on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, conspiracy to forge documents and uttering of documents. EFCC alleged that the marketers and their companies had conspired to and also obtained huge sums of money from the Federal Government purporting the sum to be payment for subsidy under the Petrol Support Fund for the purported importation of Premium Motor spirit from Europe to Nigeria.
The EFCC also alleged that all the defendants at various times, forged different bill of ladens for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) not supplied to claim the Federal Government subsidy on fuel.
when would Nigerians learn to be patriotic to their country and also know that a MAN LIFE DOES NOT CONSIST ON ABUNDANCE OF THINGS WHICH HE POSSES.
I am very sure that ASB company know nothing about all this allegation! God will always be by your side and devil will be put o shame in jesus name.
Why should the courts be giving ridiculous bails to economic saboteurs that have ruined us and future of our Children/Children? To hell with the Judiciary system that finds it easy to give long jail terms to those young yahoo- yahoo boys that steal from foreigners but find it fit to release those Nigerian Scams that milked the Country dry over the years. The Petroleum subsidy 419 operators should be treated like common criminals with adequate punishment meted out to them.
To cut the long story short, Nigeria should put their refineries in good order and stop the mad rush for importation.
THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM HAS GROWN TO MAKE THE GRANTING OF BAILS A NORM NOMATTER THE GRAVITY OF CRIME AS LONG AS THOSE INVOLVED ARE THE ELITES OR HAVE POLITICAL LINKAGE.AS FAR AS AM CONCERNED BAILS HAVE BECOME JUDGMENTS FOR THE ELITES IN NIGERIA.
what a country is Nigeria indeed, people that are not decent and acting lawfully should be treated like common criminals. they do not deserve civilized treatment. these men should not be granted bail for any reason. they don’t deserve pity.this country has suffered so much in the hands of these wicked men. the judiciary must firm in this case.
Its most regretable that it was discovered that people forged bill of ladden to receive money for products not delivered, but still they are being granted bail to pay back our money that they never laboured for.
this is a wrong message to our up and coming youths meaning “GET IN THERE STEAL AS MUCH AS YOU CAN LAY YOUR HAND ON and then come out with stolen money to throw about even at the Judiciary.
cheer shame on nigeria judiciary
The failure of the judiciary is gradually leading to a state of anarchy in Nigeria.
This shows that our judiciary is part of the problems we are facing in nigeria,for granted bail to criminal found with concrate evidence .can we call this business upon the poor masses?but,oneday oneday monkey will go market without coming back home.
OK, guys, What about those so called government officials that approved these payments; I bet you $100.00 to your donuts (zero) that they owns more than half of these fraud companies.
Additionally, start cuffing and shackling these rogues on their way to courts and see the smiling comes to an end.
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Bail is predicated on the presumption of innocence. They might not be guilty at the end of the day. What is important is that the trial goes on without compromising ethics, conscience, and law. There should be machinery for speedy, fast, and efficient justice delivery in Nigeria.
The same old story ! When shall big men get convictions for fraud and corruption in this country ?
Rule of the game is to loot the country in billions or trilions of Naira so that there will be enough to “go round” when the “bubble” bursts – and u will go free. Or are u telling me that these guys don’t know that they will meet efcc men and women along the line.
I don’t know why we do not really have a proper judicial system in this country, someone forged another persons company document, connived with another to commit a crime. Instead of EFCC to investigate the matter, they went ahead to arrest and embarrass an innocent man for the reasons best known to them. My question now is what if after the investigation by the court and they find out that Mr Ifeanyi Anosike is innocent, will the deformation of character to him by both Mr Emeka Chukwu who use to be an errand boy to Mr Ifeanyi Anosike, Mrs Ngosi Ekeoma whom Emeka sold the companies (ANOSYKE) documents to be restored back to him (IFEANYI)?. It pains so much when accused and embarrassed for an offence which you knew noting about, but no matter what as the good Bible says WE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET US FREE