SAN FRANCISCO, June 08, (THEWILL) – A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday granted former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, Azibaola Roberts and his wife, Stella, bail in the sum of N500m.
The Justice Nnamdi Dimgba-led court also ordered them to provide two sureties who must own landed property in Abuja, but court ruled that they would be in prison until the set conditions were met.
The judge, who had yesterday remanded Azibaola in Kuje prison pending the determination of his bail application, ruled a day after that Azibaola was entitled to bail in the alleged charge of diversion of $40m through One Plus Holdings filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The bail was granted the accused because they had not been proved guilty.
Both Azibaola and his wife had pleaded not guilty to charges when they were read to them. Following their plea, the prosecution counsel, Aliyu Ali had asked the court to commence trial, and that the accused be remanded in prison custody.
The defence counsel, Chris Uche however told the court that there was a pending application for bail, and he urged the court to grant his request.
He claimed that the accused person had been in the custody of the EFCC despite an order of a high court granting him bail- which he said was flagrantly disobeyed by the commission.
