THE Maitama Division of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, on Tuesday, November 14, revoked the bail earlier granted to one of the defendants in the theft case involving the former accountant general of the federation, accused of stealing N109.5 billion.
The judge, Yusuf Halilu, cancelled the bail granted to the defendant, Olusegun Akindele, following his non-appearance in court to continue the trial.
Akindele, the second defendant in the case, is standing trial with Mohammed Kudu Usman, Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, and the former accountant general.
Akindele was accused of bribing the former AGF and others with over N15 billion between February and December 2021.
According to the prosecution, the bribe was to hasten the payment of 13 per cent derivation to nine oil-producing states within the federation via the AGF office.
The ICIR reported in July 2022 that an FCT High Court sitting at Maitama granted bail to Idris and two others.
The judge, Adeyemi Ajayi, in a ruling, adopted all the terms and conditions of the administrative bail the plaintiff – the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – gave the ex-AGF and his co-defendants.
Consequently, as part of the conditions for releasing the defendants on bail, the court held that they must remain within the FCT and seek consent before travelling out.
The court also ordered Idris and his co-defendants to submit an affidavit of assurance to abide by all their bail conditions.
The ex-AGF was also ordered to submit his international passports to the court.
Ajayi also ordered that the defendants remain in Kuje Prison until they perfect their bail conditions.
Idris had pleaded not guilty to a 14-count charge bordering on stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109.5 billion, preferred against him by the Nigerian government during his arraignment in court.
The ex-AGF was arrested on May 16 by the EFCC over alleged N80 billion fraud.
The ICIR reported that the court remanded him in the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre after the EFCC arraigned him on July 22.
A reporter with the ICIR
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