Court to rule on Adoke’s bail application January 30

Justice A.I. Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Gwagwalada, Abuja, on Monday adjourned till January 30 hearing on the bail applications filed by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Muhammed Adoke and other defendants.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had last week arraigned Adoke and six others on an amended 42-count charge of fraud and money laundering.

However, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges, thus setting the stage for their trial.

At Monday’s sitting, the prosecution counsel, Bala Sanga, told the court that the matter was for the hearing of the defendant’s bailing application, following which counsel to the former AGF, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), informed the court that the defence had filed an application for his client’s bail.

“We have also filed two critical documents to show that the defendant will not jump bail. We also urge the court to grant him bail based on his health condition. We humbly urge the court to grant him bail,” Ozekhome said.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Abubakar, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), also urged the court to grant bail to his client.

“One of the exhibits did not show that he ran away. He was not deported. He was not extracted. He bought his own ticket back to Nigeria on his own. We urge the court to exercise discretion to grant him bail,” Olanipekun stated.

Sanga, who opposed Adoke’s bail application, noted that no case of ill -health had been proven by the defendant, more so, that the ex-minister did not voluntarily return to the country but extradited by Interpol.

READ ALSO: Sen Sani regains freedom as Court approves bail

He said: “We have a counter-affidavit dated January 24, 2020 and filed on the same date. It is 11 paragraphs, deposed to by Ahmed Ibrahim, an officer of the EFCC. The contention is that no ill- health has been proven. We have exhibit EF1 and EF2 and the point is that it is the Interpol that handed him over to us. Interpol said we should come and collect him. So how come he returned on his own?”

The prosecution counsel equally opposed the bail applications of the second and third defendants, both of whom he told the court that the prosecution has respectively filed a 10- paragraph counter-affidavit to their applications, dated January 24 and filed on the same date.

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