TheCable

A federal high court in Abuja on Monday granted bail to Mohammed Bello Adoke, former attorney general of the federation.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had refused to release him after he fulfilled the terms of a previous bail he was granted.

Adoke has now been released from custody, TheCable can confirm.

The anti-graft agency had re-arraigned him for alleged money laundering but Binta Nyako, the presiding judge, granted him bail.

She held that she would rely on the bail conditions previously given by Abubakar Kutigi, judge of a federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Gwagwalada, where Adoke and six others were arraigned on 42 counts of alleged fraud.

Kutigi had granted Adoke bail with a bond of N50 million. He also ordered the former AGF to produce one surety who has a landed property in the FCT.

The surety was to provide evidence of tax clearance for the last three years. The defendant was also ordered to submit his international passport to the court and to sign an undertaking to always attend trial.

But despite meeting the conditions, Adoke remained in EFCC custody.

In her ruling, Nyako said although the two cases were different, the courts are of the same jurisdiction. She ordered the EFCC to respect the order of the court.

She said: “I have no more conditions to add. I take the same conditions as the FCT high court.”

Nyako ordered the anti-graft commission to deposit the defendant’s passport which is in its custody before the high court in Gwagwalada.

Adoke and Aliyu Abubakar, a businessman, were arraigned on seven counts of alleged money laundering. Adoke was said to have received gratification to the tune of N300 million from Aliyu Abubakar in September 2013.

The duo pleaded not guilty to the allegations preferred against them.

Mike Ozekhome, Adoke’s counsel, had urged the court to grant bail to his client on liberal and favourable terms.

He prayed that his client should not be remanded in custody of the EFCC owing to the mental torture which he was allegedly subjected to.

The case has been adjourned till April 1 for commencement of trial.