The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed Thursday, November 26, for the hearing of a bail application filed by Ali Ndume, the senator from Borno South, who has been remanded in prison since Monday. He had stood as surety for Abdulrasheed Maina who is believed to have jumped bail after being absent in court on multiple occasions.
The judge, Okon Abang, ordered that Mr Ndume be kept in prison until he is able to produce Mr Maina or pay the sum of N500 million bail bond to the federal government.
However, Mr Ndume filed an appeal against the order to remand him in prison at the Court of Appeal through his lawyer, Marcel Oru. He also filed an application for bail before Mr Abang.
The judge, in Wednesday’s ruling, during the course of the trial, acknowledged the bail application filed by Mr Ndume’s lawyer.
He said that he received the application in the early hours of Wednesday morning and immediately directed for a hearing for Thursday.
On November 18, the trial judge, Justice Abang had revoked the bail granted to the defendant, thereby ordering his arrest. He also ordered that the trial would proceed in absentia.
Mr. Maina, who is the former chairperson of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on charges of laundering about N2 billion.
Premium Times
