Court grants ex-Adamawa governor N500m bail

TVC N. Ex – Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Bala Ngilari, arraigned before the Yola High Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has been granted bail. Ngillari was granted bail along with the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Sanda Lamurde, who served under his administration. Ngilari, Welye and Lamurde were arraigned before the court on a 17-count charge of criminal conspiracy contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 97 of the same code.

The accused persons were alleged to have processing contract while in office in 2015 for the purchased of 25 unit of cars valued at N167 million without following due process. But, the accused persons had pleaded not guilty to all the count charge. In his ruling on the bail applications, Justice Nathan Musa, said the prosecutor had not provided enough reasons why the two accused persons should not be granted bail, and hence granted the bail application.

Musa noted that the crime committed by the Ngilari and Lamurde was bailable and that their release on bail would not affect the EFCC investigations as the commission had already concluded investigations on the matter.

Ngilari was granted bail in the sum of N100 million with a surety in like sum, who must be man of repute and means with landed property in Yola metropolis and swear to an affidavit before the court. Lamurde was granted bail in the sum of N50 million with surety in like sum, who must also be a man of repute and means with landed property in Yola and swear to an affidavit before the court.