A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, admitted 12 out of the 15 suspects linked to the invasion of the residence of the Supreme Court Judge, Justice Mary Odili, to a bail in the sum of N5 million each.
Justice Nkeonye Maha granted them bail after counsel to the 12 defendants moved applications filed to that regard and the motions were not opposed by the prosecution lawyer, Mathew Omosun.
The judge, who ordered that the defendants must produce two sureties each, 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.
She 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 international 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.
The judge said she granted the bail plea on the ground that the applications were unchallenged and based on the evidence before the court.
Justice Maha, however, refused to grant bail to 11th (ASP Mohammed Yahaya), 14th (Abdullahi Adamu) and 15th (Abdullahi Usman) defendants on the grounds that no bail application was before the court.
Maha, who ordered that the three defendants be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre until the next adjourned date, fixed Jan. 17 and Jan. 18, 2022, for trial commencement.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while counsel to the 11th defendant, Usman Jubrin, and lawyer to the 15th defendant (Abdullahi Usman), moved oral applications for bail, the 14th defendant did not have legal representation in court.
NAN reports that the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Police Force, had produced the 15 suspects before Justice 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 Justice Odili and members of her household with injury to her person and reputation with intent to execute an illegal search warrant.
Although 22 defendants are on the charge, seven of them are still at large.
Earlier, Counsel to the prosecution, Mathew Omosun from the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters, told the court that he had an amended 18 counts dated Dec. 13 and filed Dec. 14.
He prayed the court for the counts to be read to the 15 defendants so they could take their plea.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
Omosun urged the court to make an order remanding the defendants in a correctional centre pending the hearing and determination of the matter in view of their non-guilty plea.
But lawyers to the defendants informed that applications for bail had been filed in respect of their clients.
The prosecution did not oppose the motions
The judge then stood down the matter and resumed for the ruling at about 8:15pm.
NAN observes that the defence bail applications were filed prior to the arraignment.
But, Usman Jubrin, who is counsel to the 11th defendant (ASP Mohammed Yahaya), and Dr M.Y. Suleiman, the lawyer to the 15th defendant (Abdullahi Usman), moved an oral application for bail in respect of their clients.
Jubrin told the court that as at Dec. 14 when he filed the bail applications for 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 13th defendants who he also appeared for, the name of the 11th defendant was not in the charge.
The lawyer, who prayed the court to admit Yahaya to bail on liberal terms, said he was surprised to see his name later as 11th defendant.
Also moving the oral application, Suleiman said his client, an Immigration Officer (Abdullahi Usman), was ready to produce a surety to stand his trial.
He urged the court to grant the plea.
The police counsel, Omosun, did not oppose the bail request.
Some of the defendants arraigned include 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),
Others are Bashir Musa, ASP Mohammed Yahaya, Stanley Nkwazema, Shehu Jibo, Abdullahi Adamu and Abdullahi Usman.
The seven defendants at large include Ike Ezekwe, L/CPL Mike, Sani Bala, Godwin Lucas, Solomon Bagudu, Austin M. and Michael M.
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