Breaking News : Ibori , Igbinedion Get Bail

The Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna this morning granted embattled former governor of Delta State, James Ibori bail after about 10 weeks in detention. The court granted him bail in the sum of N50 million. The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Lawal Shuaibu, in his ruling submitted that the court had to consider Ibori’s bail application on the grounds that his counsel,

Joseph Daudu, SAN, gave reasons of ill-health, the accused’s inability to see his lawyer and lack of movement to procure relevant documents to defend the charges filed against him.Justice Lawal disagreed with the excuse given by Daudu on Ibori’s ill health saying, “I do not see him as a sick man.

However, that won’t stop me from granting him bail.”He said the application was also considered on the assurance Daudu gave that Ibori would not jump bail and would always appear in court whenever his case is scheduled for hearing.Lawal ruled that three prominent persons resident in Kaduna with property worth N50 million must stand as sureties for him.Hearing for a definite trial has been scheduled for 18 and 19 February, 2008.

Meanwhile, respite came the way of former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Nosakhere Igbinedion, this morning as a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu granted his application for bail, though with some conditions.Some of the conditions attached to the bail issued by Justice Olayinka Faji are that Igbinedion should pay N10 million to the court, and provide two sureties who must be federal permanent secretaries with three or more years to spend in the civil service.The credibility of the permanent secretaries must not be in doubt and both should show evidence of payment of taxes for three years. They must also submit two recent passport photographs.The judge also directed the accused not to travel abroad without the permission of the court and must swear to an affidavit of loss of travel documents (as revealed by his counsel).The judge also ordered the accused to declare all his assets, including his residences, both at home and abroad.He is also to report to the EFCC every fortnight on Fridays and deposit all his travel documents with the EFCC.

The judge directed that his order be served on the Head of Service of the Federation and the Controller-General of Immigration.Reacting to the conditions attached to the bail, Igbinedion’s counsel, Adetunji Oyeyipo, thanked the judge for the bail but frowned at the stringent conditions attached.“We will try to meet these conditions but if we don’t, we know what to do,” he said.The judge directed further that Igbinedion be remanded in EFCC custody until all the conditions are met and verified. The judge thus fixed proper trial for 25 February, 2008.After the conditions attached to the bail were read out, supporters of Igbinedion who had thronged the court expecting his release, left the premises, wearing long faces and discussing the development.