Justice Odili: 12 suspects get N5m bail each

Justice Nkoenye Maha of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to 12 accused persons involved in the siege on Justice Mary Odili’s residence.

The bail was granted on Wednesday evening in the sum of N5 million each with two sureties in like sum.

According to the ruling, the first surety must be a responsible citizen, with landed properties in like sum while the second, must be gainfully employed in Abuja with three years tax clearance preceding the court order.

For the 11th and 15th defendants, the court refused to grant their oral application for bail, while no one made an application for bail for the 14th defendant.

They are all to be remanded at the Kuje correctional center, including those who were granted bail, pending the perfection of their bail applications.

The case, was thereafter, adjourned to January 17 and 18, 2022 for hearing.

The Police had arraigned 15 out of the 22 suspects alleged to have laid siege on the residence of the Supreme Court Justice.

The suspects who were facing 18 counts were presented earlier on Wednesday before Justice Maha.

They include Ajodo Lawrence (principal suspect), Michael Diete-Spiff, Bar. Alex Onyekuru, Bayero Lawal, Bar. Igwe Ernest, Aliyu Umar Ibrahim, Maimuna Maishanu, Ayodele Akindipe, Yusuf Adamu, Bashir Musa, ASP Mohammed Yahaya, Stanley Nkwazema, Shehu Jibo, Abdullahi Adamu, and Abdullahi Usman and were listed as the 1st to 15th defendants.

They were said to be among a Joint Panel Recovery unit of the Federal Government comprising the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), police, and the Federal Ministry of Justice.

But the EFCC as well as the Federal Ministry of Justice had denied any such involvement.

Justice Odili’s home was invaded on October 29, with the said panel claiming it had a search warrant from Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna.