Posted by By Tony Amokeodo, Chux Ohai and Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja on
The former chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Olabode George, on Friday, finally met the bail conditions imposed by an Ikeja High Court on Tuesday. Justice Joseph Oyewole had held that the offences for which George, a former deputy national chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, and four other accused were charged with fell within ‘misdemeanour' and added that the offences were bailable.
The former chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Olabode George, on Friday, finally met the bail conditions imposed by an Ikeja High Court on Tuesday. Justice Joseph Oyewole had held that the offences for which George, a former deputy national chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, and four other accused were charged with fell within ‘misdemeanour' and added that the offences were bailable. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned the accused penultimate Friday for allegedly awarding contracts worth N100bn ‘without due process' during his tenure as the chairman of the NPA. He was arraigned on a 163-count charge with the former Managing Director of the NPA, Mr. Aminu Dabo, Abdullahi Tafida, O. Abidoye and Zanna Maidaribe. After hearing the bail applications by the lawyers to the accused, Justice Oyewole admitted George and the other accused to bail in the sum of N5m.
Former Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Olabode George (second left), being led into the Ikeja High Court premises by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Lagos … on Tuesday.
The court also directed the accused to produce a surety who must enter into bond in the like sum. It added that each surety must be resident in and own landed property in Lagos State. The court further directed that the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidence of having paid their taxes up till date.
The court registrar was mandated to verify the address of each of the sureties to ascertain its veracity.
The court consequently adjourned the trial of the accused till October 28, 29 and 30. but, they had remained in the custody of the EFCC because one of the sureties had a problem with tax clearance. However, by Friday, the problem had been resolved, as the court signed the production warrant for the accused at 2.55p.m.
George, who was dressed in a patterned Ankara robe (agbada), had arrived the court premises in a white Nissan Urvan bus registered as BJ58UWN and left a few minutes later in a black Toyota Sequioa jeep with registration number Lagos BE252BDG, after signing the warrant of release. The other accused were signing the papers when Saturday Punch visited at 4.10p.m. Only a few members of the PDP in Lagos State were present at the court.
George, however, declined to grant an interview, saying, 'I'm not in the mood to talk now.' When one of our correspondents attempted to find out from the party's national leadership why it had done nothing to resolve its former chieftain's bail had since Tuesday, a top official, who declined to be named, said, 'You know that issues concerning the EFCC, security and crime are not issues we would like to dabble into. We believe that the judiciary should be allowed to do its job. It is not the duty of the party to start looking for the sureties for members of the party that are accused of committing one crime or the other.'