Abba Moro, Co-accused Remanded in Kuje Prison

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered former Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, and one F.O. Alayebami facing N676 million money laundering and fraud charges to be remanded in Kuje prison till March 2 when their bail application will be heard.

Moro was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside the former Permanent Secretary ub the ministry, Anastasia Nwobia; Alayebami and Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited while Mahmood Ahmadu was said to be at large.

The judge however, ordered that Nwobia, who is a nursing mother, continues to enjoy the administrative bail earlier granted her by the EFCC.

Justice Anwuri Chikere gave the order after Moro and other three accused persons pleaded not guilty to the 11-count charge preferred against them by the EFCC.

They were arraigned on 11-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretences (419), fraud and money laundering.

The accused persons were alleged to have contravened the Public Procurement Act No. 65 of 2007 in the contract awards by not following the necessary procedure laid down by the government.
According to the EFCC, the award of the contract to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited had no prior advertisement, no needs assessment and a procurement plan was not carried out before the award of the contract.

The anti-graft agency added that there was no budgetary provision for the exercise in the 2014 federal budget, hence, the applicants were made to bear the responsibility of funding the project without the approval of the board contrary to Section 22(5) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission Act, 2000.

The conduct of the recruitment test in March 2014 led to the death of no fewer than 20 applicants while many others were injured in stampedes in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Minna.

The matter has been adjourned to March 2 for hearing of their bail application.
Meanwhile, former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd), yesterday asked the court in Abuja to grant him bail from detention.

Badeh is being held in Lagos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since February 8, 2016, when he was invited by the anti-graft agency for questioning.

However, in a bid to secure bail, Badeh, through his counsel, Samuel Zibiri (SAN) filed an application at the Federal High Court Abuja seeking his release from detention.

The application dated February 15, was brought pursuant to Section 35(4) and Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution and Sections 158, 162 and 165(1) (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

By the application, Zibiri is praying the court for an order admitting him to bail on self-recognizance, or on such favourable and liberal terms as the court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of the case pending further investigation by the respondent and/or arraignment before this court.

Zibiri said the application was based on the grounds that the applicant voluntarily went on the invitation to the office of the respondent, (EFCC) on February 8, and was subsequently detained by the respondent after several hours of interrogation and compelled to write a bulky statement.

The alleged case of fraud for which the applicant was invited is ordinarily bailable, according to Zibiri, adding that: “There is no reason for, or any likelihood that the applicant will jump bail, escape from justice, interfere with witnesses or investigation if same is still ongoing, or the course of justice upon his being granted bail.”

According to him the applicant has no criminal antecedents or records.
Opposing the application, counsel to the EFCC, Cosmas Ugwu, told the court that Badeh had not even made any effort to secure bail in Lagos, where he was presently being detained.

“He is in custody in Lagos; Abuja is not holding him, so, the convenient court to grant the applicant bail is a court within the same territorial jurisdiction,” Ugwu argued.

More so, the EFCC lawyer informed the court that Badeh was being held under a remand order issued by a Lagos magistrate court because he was fingered in the NIMASA fraud allegation.
Consequently, Ugwu urged the court to dismiss the application.
Meanwhile, Jusice John Tsoho has fixed March 4 for ruling.