Justice Okon Abang of the federal high court, Abuja, has granted Alex Badeh, former chief of defence staff, bail in the sum N2bn, and two sureties in the sum N1bn each.

According to the judge, the sureties must reside in Abuja.

Badeh is also required to deposit his international passport at the court.

While delivering his ruling, Abang held that the alleged offence is a bailable one, and that Badeh was presumed innocent until he otherwise proved.

However, he added that conditions of the bail were influenced by the weight of the charges.

Samuel Zibiri, counsel to Badeh, told the court that his client is a “perfect gentleman”, and that he had not “misconducted” himself anyway. He said that the EFCC had granted Badeh administrative bail on two occasions, but that he could not meet the bail conditions.

The counsel told the court that the former defence chief had no criminal record in his 35 years of service. He also argued that offence his client was alleged to have committed was a bailable one.

He, therefore, urged the court to grant the accused person bail on self-recognition just as Justice Anwuli Chikere of the federal high court, Abuja, did for Abba Moro, former minister of interior, who is facing criminal charges for allegedly scamming job seekers.

Making his submission, Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), asked the court to refuse the bail request, and order an accelerated hearing of the case.

He argued that the evidence against the defendant was strong, revealing that from a property owned by Badeh, the EFCC discovered $1m in cash, hence “he might want to jump bail in order not face this shame”.

Abang had remanded Badeh, who was absent in court on Thursday, in prison pending the determination of his application for bail. He had also dismissed an earlier application for bail filed by Zibiri, on the grounds that it was incompetent.

Zibiri had filed the application on March 2, before the arraignment of his client. But the judge held that it was out of place to file an application for bail before the arraignment of an accused person.

He, thereafter, dismissed the application and asked the defence counsel to file a fresh one.

Zibiri had asked the court to remand Badeh in the custody of the EFCC, and not in prison. But the court did not grant his request.

Earlier on Monday, EFCC had arraigned Badeh before Abang.

The former chief of defence staff is facing a 10-count charge ‎of‎ criminal breach of trust and corruption to the tune of N3.9bn. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He is alleged to have used funds of the Nigeria air force to purchase choice property in Abuja. According to the EFCC, Badeh illegally used N60m to renovate his sons house, which he purchased for N260m in Abuja, between January and December 2013.

The former defence chief is also alleged to have used N878m -being funds of the air force- to build a shopping mall in Abuja.

Three ‎of the charges reads: “That you Air Chief Marshal Alex S Badeh (whilst being the chief of air staff, Nigerian air force) and Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, between January and December, 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable ‎court, did use the dollar equivalent of the sum of N1, 100, 000, 000.00 (One billion, one hundred million naira only), removed from the accounts of the Nigeria air force, to purchase for yourselves a mansion situated at No 6 Ogun River street, off Danube street, Maitama, Abuja, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of proceed of unlawful activity (to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) of Air Chief Marshal Alex S Badeh, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2) (d) of the money laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act‎.

“That you Air Chief Marshal Alex S Badeh (whilst being the Chief of Air Staff, Nigerian air force) and Iyalikam Nigeria Limited between January and December 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use dollar equivalent of the sum of N650,000,000 (Six hundred and fifty million naira only), removed from the accounts of the Nigeria Air Force, to purchase for yourselves a commercial plot of land, situate at Plot 1386 Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity (to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) of Air Chief Marshal Alex S Badeh and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

“That you Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh (whilst being the chief of air staff, Nigerian air force) and Iyalikan Nigeria Limited between January and December 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use an aggregate sum of N878,362,732.94 (eight hundred and seventy-eight million, three hundred and sixty-two thousand, seven hundred and thirty-two naira, ninety-four kobo), removed from the accounts of the Nigerian air force and paid into the account of Rytebuilders Technologies Limited with Zenith Bank Plc for the construction of a shopping mall, situate at Plot 1386 Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja, for yourselves, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity (to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) of Air Chief Marshal Alex S Badeh and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d)of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act
https://www.thecable.ng/breaking-court-grants-badeh-n2bn-bail

Well deserved!

The option is now his to either surrender all our money in his possession or rot in jail.

I have no sympathy for looters of our common wealth.

I see

This is absolute nonsense. Bail on what grounds? Being an orphan or having kidney stones? Quite frankly, I have lost respect for the judiciary and all its corruptible judges. I agree with Obj that the EFCC is just a toothless bulldog. They should save themselves the drama of having to arrest these thieves. They should just walk up to them and ask for their percentage of the loot and spare us the drama.

This is the kind of judgement that makes PDP/ipob/TAN wail ceaselessly.
Kudos to you Mr judge.


Wailing wailers food don ready.

Chai! These conditions go pain the loot loving bastard no be small!

All hail the "Thief of defence staff"!!!

If he, eventually, comes up with the N2bn bail fee, can he prove the legitimate source of such earnings as a military personnel? Even the sureties must be "Clean", else you'll need to prove to EFCC the source of your wealth.
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Any means the government will use to recover looted funds is welcome. If bail fee is one of them, so be it.

nice one

Please someone should help me with the clue on where all there bail granting money are going to. Do they account for what it is used for?

See money for bail.

Best news I've heard all day Lwkmd...... Now let the wailing begin

Justice Okon Abang have automatically become my role model

2 Billion... I go give up on nigeria if person come up with this money to bail this nigger

NobleAngell:
This is absolute nonsense. Bail on what grounds? Being an orphan or having kidney stones? Quite frankly, I have lost respect for the judiciary and all its corruptible judges. I agree with Obj that the EFCC is just a toothless bulldog. They should save themselves the drama of having to arrest these thieves. They should just walk up to them and ask for their percentage of the loot and spare us the drama.

You are not coNsistence! You are shifting ground every 20 minute.Your former opinion is better than this one

The money is to small, he must vomit it

Authoritative sources have it that EFCC didnt find one kobo in Badeh's house..

Like many people said, all this media trial is not helping the govt..

They simply arrest someone, detain the person unlawfully and start looking for evidence that doesnt exist.

mile12crises:
Authoritative sources have it that EFCC didnt find one kobo in Badeh's house..

Like many people said, all this media trial is not helping the govt..

They simply arrest someone, detain the person unlawfully and start looking for evidence that doesnt exist.

You didnt read the news! EFCC found one million dollars in one of his houses

i love this...2BN Bail

bettercreature:
You didnt read the news! EFCC found one million dollars in one of his houses

And you were blind to read that "Authoritative sources have it that EFCC didnt find one kobo in Badeh's house"

mile12crises:


And you were blind to read that "Authoritative sources have it that EFCC didnt find one kobo in Badeh's house"

Lies! no one is trying to rope him with $1million cash.He realised no escape route if he admit the money was truely found in his house

mile12crises:
And you were blind to read that "Authoritative sources have it that EFCC didnt find one kobo in Badeh's house"

If I understood properly what was written by Punch Newspaper (see link below), then I think $1m was found in one of the houses EFCC claim is owned by Badeh. However, the former General is claiming that he does not own that particular house (which the money was found). EFCC, on the other hand, insist that Badeh owns the house as his belongings including his photographs were found there during an EFCC search. It's up to you to choose who to believe, or you can save yourself the trouble and allow the judge choose.
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http://www.punchng.com/39533-2/

bettercreature:
Lies! no one is trying to rope him with $1million cash.He realised no escape route if he admit the money was truely found in his house

Perhaps you are the PA to the EFCC boss.

Leave suspects to defend themselves....APC-led propaganda government have dealt a big blow to Nigerians psychic.

2 Billion NAIRA! How much interest will that money yield if in GTB savings account for the period of trial?

Make the trial come long like typical election petition...

Anyways, if Badeh can afford 2B naira bail, he MUST be guilty. NO public servant who recently retired can afford such.
And I thought Metuh's bail was Nigerian record.

2million not billion

I love this justice abang no homo

He is the only justice slamming these corrupt sobs with huge bail money.

Well done abang.

The money looks much; unbelievable.

Front page

Hmmmm. N2b bail bond for a retired military officer? These people really stole us blind.

Where u wan for see the money

Haba!