Police pension scam: Court grant Atiku, others bail
An Abuja High Court has granted bail to a former Permanent Secretary in the Pension section of the Head of Service, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, two directors and three other officials who are standing trial on a 16 count of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust in respect to N32.8 billion police pension scam.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Abubakar Talba in his ruling said the law presumes any accused person innocent until proven otherwise and that before the contrary is proven, the accused persons have the right to breathe the air of freedom.
The judge also added that by bringing the case to court the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has shown that it has finished investigations as such the issue of interference does not arise. He therefore granted them bail.
Justice Talba granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N10 million each, two sureties each one of who must be civil servant of not less than grade level 14.
He also ruled that the sureties must be residence of the Federal Capital Territory. The sureties are to swear affidavit of means that would be verified by the EFCC.
The six accused including Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu , Veronica Ulonma Onyebgula and Sani Habila Zira had all pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them.
They were said to have conspired and sequentially withdrew monies from Police Pension funds in an account domiciled at First Bank of Nigeria and shared it amongst themselves between January 2009 and June 2011.
The 3rd accused person, Inuwa Wada, was also accused of collecting N18million from Unity Bank Plc, as his reward for retaining the Police Pension Account with the bank.
According to the EFCC, their offence which bothers on conspiracy, fraud and criminal breach of trust, is punishable under sections 97, 315, 115(ii), 119 and 309, of the Penal Code Act Cap. 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria 2007.
They have spent a total of five days in the prison before Justice Talba granted them relieve.
An Abuja High Court has granted bail to a former Permanent Secretary in the Pension section of the Head of Service, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, two directors and three other officials who are standing trial on a 16 count of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust in respect to N32.8 billion police pension scam.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Abubakar Talba in his ruling said the law presumes any accused person innocent until proven otherwise and that before the contrary is proven, the accused persons have the right to breathe the air of freedom.
The judge also added that by bringing the case to court the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has shown that it has finished investigations as such the issue of interference does not arise. He therefore granted them bail.
Justice Talba granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N10 million each, two sureties each one of who must be civil servant of not less than grade level 14.
He also ruled that the sureties must be residence of the Federal Capital Territory. The sureties are to swear affidavit of means that would be verified by the EFCC.
The six accused including Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu , Veronica Ulonma Onyebgula and Sani Habila Zira had all pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them.
They were said to have conspired and sequentially withdrew monies from Police Pension funds in an account domiciled at First Bank of Nigeria and shared it amongst themselves between January 2009 and June 2011.
The 3rd accused person, Inuwa Wada, was also accused of collecting N18million from Unity Bank Plc, as his reward for retaining the Police Pension Account with the bank.
According to the EFCC, their offence which bothers on conspiracy, fraud and criminal breach of trust, is punishable under sections 97, 315, 115(ii), 119 and 309, of the Penal Code Act Cap. 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria 2007.
They have spent a total of five days in the prison before Justice Talba granted them relieve.
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