Wheelchair saves ex-PDP chair, Bello from prison

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that a former chairman, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Haliru Bello who came to court in wheel chair as evidence that he was undergoing medical treatment should be placed in police custody, pending when his bail application would be heard.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed remanded the PDP chieftain’s son in Kuje Prison, and ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase, to ensure that Bello, was monitored in hospital.

But for his wheelchair, Belle may have also been given the same treatment as his son, since both were arraigned on the same four counts of money laundering involving about N300m, which they allegedly collected from the office of the National Security Adviser.

Read also: I am slow for a purpose

Bello told the court that he ‎is still recuperating from a spinal cord surgery he had in the United Kingdom.
Justice Mohammed fixed Thursday for ruling on their bail application.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had filed charges against Bello, who is also a former Minister of Defence, and his son, along with their firm, Bam Properties.

Both men pleaded not guilty to all four counts.

The anti-graft agency alleged that the accused persons, through the firm, withdrew the sum from an account the ‎Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The fund was said to have been transferred to the accused persons, 11 days to the 2015 presidential election, by the embattled former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, rtd.

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