After seven hours of proceedings, Justice Nkonye Maha of the Federal High Court Abuja Wednesday night, granted bail to twelve out of the fifteen 15 persons arraigned in connection with the alleged invasion of the Abuja residence of a Supreme Court Judge, Justice Mary Peter-Odili.
However, the court denied the 11th and 15th suspects bail on the ground that they made oral application, as much as the 14th suspects did not file any application.
“There was no evidence that a bail application was filed before this court,” Justice Maha held.
On their bail conditions, Justice Maha held that each person must produce two sureties each, the sureties must be civil servants, responsible, and with landed properties.
The second surety must be gainfully employed with two years of tax clearance.
She equally ordered that those granted bail must submit their international passport to the registrar through their litigants.
The federal government through the Inspector General of Police arraigned 15 out of the 22 suspects who allegedly invaded the residence on 18 count charges.
The 15 were earlier paraded on November 11 by the Police headquarters, Abuja.
The defendants who on October 29, 2021, besieged Justice Odili’s home in the Maitama district of Abuja were charged with offences of conspiracy, forgery, unlawful force entrance into the compound, impersonation etc.
The suspects that appeared before Justice Nkonye Maha of the federal high court Abuja on 18 count charges are Ajodo Lawrence, aka Ola Ojo, Micheal Diete-spiff, Alex Onyekeru, Bayero Lawal aka director EFCC, Igwe Ernest, Aliu Ibrahim, Hajiya Maà Muna Mashanu, Dr Ayodele Akindipe, aka herbalist, Yusuf Adamu aka Godson to chief Peter Odili, Basiru Musa, Stanley Nkwazima, Shehu Jibo, Abdulahi Adamu, Ike Ezekwe, Abdullahi Usman, Sani Bala, Godwin Lucas at large, Solomon Bagudu at large, Austin M.at large, Micheal M at large were listed as in the charge as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th respectively.
Among the 15 is a female, although her identity cannot be ascertained at the time of this report.
They were brought into the court around 1:45 pm by personnel of the Federal Investigation Bureau, Special Tactical Squad (STS) and the police.
The suspects had on October 29, 2021, acting upon a controversial warrant of arrest issued by a Wuse Magistrate Court, attempted to gain access into the house of Peter-Odili who is the second most senior Justice in the country.
They had claimed to be members of a special recovery panel in the Federal Ministry of Justice, although the Ministry has since denied them, just as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Service (DSS) and Police.
However, following public outcry, the police had swung into action and arrested 22 persons out of which 15 have been brought to court for arraignment.
When the charges were read to them by the clerk of court, all the defendants pleaded not guilty to the amended charge.
The prosecutor Matthew .O. Amosun (ASP) then applied to the Court for a trial date and for an order to remand the defendants in the custody of the Correctional centre.
But, Emmanuel Udalor counsel to the 1st defendant applied to the court to move an application for bail filed on December 14 on behalf of Ajodo.
The prosecution counsel said he was not opposed to their applications for bail and that he would leave the issue of bail at the discretion of the court.
Dr M.Y. Suleiman counsel to the 15 defendants also move an oral application for bail and there was no objection.