ABUJA – The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has
granted bail to the former National Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Haliru Bello and his son, Abba,
to the tune of N600m.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed ordered the duo to pay
N300million each, as well as produce two sureties each, in
like sum.
Whereas the court maintained 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, the son was asked to produce someone not below
grade level 12 to stand surety for him.

Besides, the court, ordered that the second surety must be
an owner of landed property in Abuja the value of which
must not be below N300m, adding that the title deed of such
property must be verified and surrendered to the court
registrar throughout the duration of the trial.
Both sureties are to swear to an affidavit of means, as well
as tender their recent passport photographs to the court.
More so, Justice Mohammed ordered the accused persons
to surrender their international passports to the court.
Pending the perfection of the bail terms, the court ordered
that Abba should be remanded in prison custody, saying the
ex-PDP boss should remain in hospital but placed under
police watch.
Justice Mohammed has fixed February 16 to commence
full-blown trial of the accused persons.
It will be recalled that the accused person were on Tuesday,
docked before the court by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC.

They are facing a four-count criminal charge bordering on
alleged N300million fraud.
Equally charged before the court was a private firm, BAM
Projects and Properties Limited, which the EFCC said was
used to perpetuate the fraud.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the accused persons,
through the firm, withdrew the sum of N300m 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.
However, both Bello who was docked in a wheelchair and
his son, pleaded not guilty to the charge dated December 23
but amended on December 30, 2015, even as their lawyers
prayed the court to release them on bail.
Specifically, the former PDP boss, through his lawyer, Mr.
Abdulaziz Ibrahim, urged the court to grant him bail on rely
recognition.
Bello told the court that he is still recuperating from a spinal
cord surgery he had in the United Kingdom. “The 3rd
defendant is over 70 years old, an elder statesman who has
served this country meritoriously in various capacities. My
lord he was not only a former Minister of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, but also the former Chairman of one of
the biggest political parties in Africa.
“We pray this court to grant him bail on self recognition, or
in the alternative, grant him bail on the most liberal terms.
“He has responsible persons that are ready to stand
surety for him”, Bello’s lawyer submitted.
One of the charge against them read: “That you Bello Abba
Mohammed, BAM Projects and Properties Ltd and Dr. Haliru
Bello on or about 17th March 2015 in Abuja within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court took possession of the
sum of N300million paid into the account of BAM Projects
and Properties Limited with Sterling Bank Plc from the
account of the Office of the National Security Adviser with
the CBN when you reasonably ought to have known that the
said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity
of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd), the then National
Security Adviser( to wit: criminal breach of trust and
corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary
to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition)
Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section
(15) (3) of the same Act”.

“The 3rd defendant is over 70 years old, an elder statesman who has served this country meritoriously in various capacities. My lord he was not only a former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but also the former Chairman of one of the biggest political parties in Africa.

olatunji21:
Very Commendable...Lets see the Federal govt employee willing to stand surety of #300million... we dy wait

Papishi:


Seriously me sef dey wait o. Let's see how they will try and wiggle out on this one. Steal 1 pay 2 as bail.

phemmyutd:
20 cartons of Orijin for the Judge please..

Wailers, what can you say to this?

Papishi:


Seriously me sef dey wait o. Let's see how they will try and wiggle out on this one. Steal 1 pay 2 as bail.

NgeneUkwenu: