Bankole, Nafada Regains Freedom

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman Nafada on Friday regained temporary freedom as they succeeded in fulfilling the conditions attached to the bail granted them by Justice Suleiman Belgore of an Abuja High Court.

They are standing trial over an alleged 38 billion naira scam filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Bankole’s lawyers led by Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, a senior advocate of Nigeria, had protested the bail condition which he regarded as very stiff and stringent and had pleaded profusely with the judge to vary the condition requiring the accused persons to get two sureties each who must be civil servants not below the status of Permanent Secretary and resident within the Federal Capital Territory.

The accused persons had filed an application before the court at about 10 am seeking for the variation of the bail terms, stating that they were unable to secure Permanent Secretaries who were willing to post bail for them and requesting that the condition be varied in such a way that any civil servant of a lesser grade level can qualify to post bail for them.

That application was yet to be heard by the court before Bankole and Nafada defied the heavy rain and drove down to the court in the company of their legal team to submit the bail papers to the court registrar.

Bankole in his usual white attire and Nafada wearing a navy blue kaftan and a red cap to match regained their freedom at about 5pm.

Soon after their release documents were signed by the judge and they were driven away in a Toyota Camry metallic car belonging to one of their associates.

Speaking after his clients’ release, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo told newsmen that they were able to get four Permanent Secretaries who signed the papers for the two of the accused persons.

On their pending application for varriation of the bail condition, Oyetibo said,”we have forfeited that application, we are no longer pursuing it because we don’t need it. We’ve succeeded in providing the four Permanent Secretaries as demanded by the court and we have met all the conditions.”

Justice Suleiman Belgore had on Thursday admitted Bankole and Nafada to bail in the sum of 50 million Naira each with two sureties each in like sum who must be civil servants not be below the rank of Permanent Secretary working and residing in the Federal Capital Territory.

The court also added that Bankole and Nafada’s travel documents should be deposited with the EFCC.

Their trial is fixed for 19 July.

By Nnamdi Felix/Abuja