By Taiye Agbaje
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, granted bail to three out of the remaining 15 suspects who allegedly invaded the residence of the Supreme Court judge, Mary Odili.
Justice Nkeonye Maha admitted them to a N5 million bail each following an application separately filed by their counsel which was not opposed to by lawyer to the police, Mathew Omosun.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Maha had, on Dec. 15, 2021, refused to grant bail to Mohammed Yahaya, an assistant superintendent of police), Abdullahi Adamu) and Abdullahi Usman, the 11th, 14th and 15th defendants respectively, on the grounds that no bail application was filed before the court on their behalf.
The judge had ordered that the three defendants be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre till the next hearing fixed for trial commencement.
All 15 defendants had earlier pleaded not guilty to 18 charges, including forgery, criminal trespass, intimidation, extortion, among others, linked to their alleged invasion of Mrs Odili’s home in Abuja on October 29.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Maha ordered that the defendants must produce two sureties each.
The judge also directed that the two sureties for each of the defendants must be responsible citizens, and one of them must possess a landed property in Abuja with verified certificate of occupancy.
Ms Maha also ruled that the second surety must be gainfully employed in Abuja, having paid his or her tax dues for three years.
She said the documents of the landed property should be submitted to the registry of the court.
The judge, who ordered that the defendants must submit their passports to the registry, directed that all the defendants be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of their bail terms.
The judge noted that though the prosecution did not oppose the applications, this did not preclude the court from looking at the merit of the matter based on Supreme Court decision.
She said the court also had a discretion to grant the bail.
NAN reports that the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Police Force, had produced the 15 suspects before Maha for arraignment on 18-count charge bordering on forgery, criminal trespass, intimidation, extortion, among others, contrary to the sections of the law.
In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/436/2021, they were also alleged to have threatened Mrs Odili and members of her household while trying to execute an illegal search warrant.
Although 22 defendants are charged in the case, seven of them are still at large.
Some of the defendants arraigned iare Lawrence Adjodo (a.k.a. Ola Ojo) , Michael Diete-Spiff, Alex Onyekuru, Bayero Lawal (a.k.a EFCC director), Igwe Ernest, Aliyu Umar Ibrahim, Hajiya Maimuna Maishanu, Dr Ayodele Akindipe (a.k.a. Herbalist), Yusuf Adamu (a.k.a. Godson to Chief Peter Odili),
The rest are Bashir Musa, Mohammed Yahaya, an assistant superintendent of police, Stanley Nkwazema, Shehu Jibo, Abdullahi Adamu, and Abdullahi Usman.
The seven defendants at large include Ike Ezekwe, a lance corporal, Mike, Sani Bala, Godwin Lucas, Solomon Bagudu, Austin M. and Michael M.
NAN reports that the Police High Command had, on Nov. 11, paraded 14 suspects over the invasion of the Abuja residence of Odili, describing them as impostors unknown to any of the nation’s security forces.
As at the time of this report, the court had commenced the trail and the first persecution witness, Madaki Chidawa, an assistant superintendent police officer, was called to give his testimony.
