By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA — Five days after they were remanded in Prison custody, respite came the way of former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, yesterday, as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja released them on bail. Former Governor Sule Lamido being led to prison yesterday in Kano.
Former Governor Sule Lamido being led to prison yesterday in Kano. In a ruling yesterday, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, who is sitting as a vacation judge, granted bail to Lamido on self recognizance, noting that he was a former governor. Justice Kolawole, however, ordered his sons and their alleged accomplice, Wada Abubakar, to deposit N25 million each. All the accused persons, including Lamido, were also directed to surrender their passports and other travelling documents to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the High Court. Stressing that the documents would be transferred to the Kano Division of the court where the accused persons were initially arraigned and remanded on July 9, Justice Kolawole said his reason for seizing Lamido’s passport was not to in any way inhibit him from travelling abroad, but to enable the court monitor his movements. Meanwhile, the other accused persons were yesterday asked to produce two sureties in like sum. According to the court, one of the sureties must be a civil servant who is either with the federal or any of the state governments, not below grade level 16. The other surety must show evidence of three years tax clearance, own a landed property either in Abuja or Kano State that is valued above N75 million. Justice Kolawole maintained that the title deeds of such property should be deposited to the court, even as he ordered the sureties to submit two of their recent passport photographs as well as depose to affidavit of means showing that they can pay the bail bonds, should any of the accused persons abscond trial. The judge held that once the conditions are perfected, a reproduction warrant should be brought to him so that he could direct the prison authorities to release the accused persons immediately. He said that the case-file would be remitted back to the Kano State Division of the High Court which had earlier fixed September 28 to commence the trial of the accused persons. As at 6:30pm yesterday, the accused persons were still struggling to fulfil the conditions. It will be recalled that trial Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the court in Kano remanded the ex-governor and his sons in prison after they were arraigned over a 28-count criminal charge that was entered against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. They are facing trial over charges bothering on corruption, money laundering, breach of trust and illegal diversion of public funds to the tune of N1.35billion. Lamido was equally alleged to have collected kickbacks from contractors in the state, with the funds allegedly paid into accounts that were managed by his sons. Four companies that were allegedly involved in the fraud- Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamiana Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminum Limited and Speeds International Limited, were also charge as the 5th to 8th accused persons in the matter. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com
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