Ex-PDP chairman Bello, son granted N600m bail

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Thursday, granted bail to a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Haliru Bello and his son, Abba, in the sum of N600m.

Trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed ordered the former PDP boss and his son to pay N300million each, as well as produce two sureties each, in like sum.

Justice Mohammed however directed that one of the persons to stand surety for Bello must be a Director under the employment of the federal government or any of its agencies, while asking the son to produce someone not below grade level 12 to stand surety for him.

The judge also ordered that the second surety must own landed property in Abuja with a value that must not be below N300m. He also added that the verified title documents of such property must be handed over to the court registrar for the duration of the trial.

The judge further directed that the sureties are to swear to an affidavit of means, as well as tender their recent passport photographs to the court while the accused persons are also to surrender their international passports to the court.

The judge, while fixing February 16 for the beginning of full trial, ordered that Abba be remanded in prison custody while Bello is to remain in hospital under the watchful eyes of the police.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on Tuesday arraigned Bello and his son, Abba on a four count criminal charge in connection with the $2.1 billion arms money. They were alleged to have illegally recieved about N300 million from funds meant for the procurement of arms from the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki.

Bello, who was hospitalized before his arraignment, however appeared in court on wheelchair on Tuesday, prompting the judge to order him detained in hospital under police watch instead of sending him to prison.

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