Posted by By MURPHY GANAGANA, GODWIN TSA and ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Abuja on
Embattled former Inspector General of police, Mr. Tafa Balogun Monday regained freedom after meeting the conditions of his bail. The former number one cop was released at about 5.30 pm after a reproduction warrant was dispatched by the Federal High Court to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operations unit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Embattled former Inspector General of police, Mr. Tafa Balogun Monday regained freedom after meeting the conditions of his bail. The former number one cop was released at about 5.30 pm after a reproduction warrant was dispatched by the Federal High Court to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operations unit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Lawyers to the commission were, however, available in court by the time the reproduction order was issued after the satisfaction of the bail conditions by the former police boss.
Among those who stood as sureties for him were two former Inspectors General of Police, Alhaji Aliyu Attah and Mohammadu Gambo Jimeta.
The traditional rulers that endorsed as sureties for Balogun include the Oba of Ila Orangun, Oba Oyedokun, Emir of Nasarawa, Alhaji Ramallan, and a traditional ruler in RiversState.
Daily Sun gathered that the former police chief would have regained freedom last Thursday but for the absence of Justice Binta Nyako in Abuja, who was in Lagos for the female justices conference, and failure by one of the sureties to be present.
When Daily Sun visited the office of Tunji Abayomi, Balogun's lawyer last night, the former police boss was meeting with him. Balogun refused to comment on his release, but Abayomi confirmed that the bail conditions were met before his release.
"We tried very, very hard to secure his bail. The issue of bail is within the section dealing with fundamental human rights. In other words, the presumption of the constitution is that a criminally accused person could still enjoy some measure of liberties, until being convicted.
"Well we were surprised at the bail conditions. The conditions appeared unmeetable. The conditions were very, very outstanding by any standard in the world, but again it is discretional, so the court exercised its discretion."
Abayomi expressed confidence that his client has a good case, but was worried that EFCC was moving towards persecution instead of prosecution.
"I was horrified by the bail conditions. We have a case where the EFCC is moving towards persecution instead of prosecution," said Abayomi.
Balogun wore a white babaringa and black shoes, and was said to be having a running stomach at the time Daily Sun visited Abayomi's office.