He is expected to be arraigned before Justice Donatus Okorono of the Federal High Court, Abuja today, alongside his former boss, Dimeji Bankole, who is already standing trial on a 16-count charge over his alleged involvement in contract inflation and other alleged financial misdemeanour amounting to about N9billion. Bankole, who is to face the fresh charges in a separate court, is still in the custody of the EFCC on court orders, since his arrest penultimate Sunday.
Daily Sun gathered that Nafada, who was arrested at about 4.10pm yesterday in Abuja, would be held in custody up till today when he might be arraigned alongside Bankole over the alleged N40billion loan scam, details of which were sketchy as at press time. Nafada and five other principal officers of the House in the Sixth Assembly were interrogated in Abuja last week by the EFCC in connection with allegations of fraud for which Bankole, who superintended over affairs at the House, was arraigned last Wednesday on criminal charges.
Others who were invited to the commission’s head office in Abuja and quizzed alongside Nafada, included the former Majority Leader, Hon. Tunde Akogun, Baba Shehu Agaie, Sulaiman Kawu, Bello Mohammed, and Ali Ndume, who was elected into the Upper Legislative Chamber in the last National Assembly polls.
The ex-officials of the House were invited to explain their roles in the financial misdeeds allegedly perpetrated during Bankole’s tenure as Speaker, including the alleged inflation of contracts amounting to N894million, breach of provisions of the Public Procurement Act, and sundry other issues.
EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi, while confirming Nafada’s arrest and detention yesterday, however, said the ex-Deputy Speaker is being held over a different case which he declined to give details. Meanwhile, Bankole would be brought to court today where Justice Okorowo is expected to rule on his bail application.
The ruling was deferred for today compelling Bankole to spend the weekend in EFCC’s custody.
In adjourning the ruling, Justice Okorowo said he was willing to deliver the judgment on the bail application last Friday but for time constraint and the volume of authorities cited by both counsel, he needed sufficient time to digest all the arguments canvassed by the respective lawyers. Accordingly, he ordered that Bankole be remanded in EFCC’s custody till today when ruling on his application would be delivered. The adjournment came as the former Speaker raised the alarm over plans by the EFCC to re-arrest him as soon as he was granted bail by the court.
During the proceedings, counsel to Bankole, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo SAN and the prosecution counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo both canvassed arguments for and against the bail application. In the said bail application, Bankole said that he was entitled to bail in his own self-recognition being the immediate past Speaker and a holder of national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic. The applicant claimed that he had never been tried for any offence or convicted for any in Nigeria or any other jurisdiction.
In a 20-paragraph affidavit in support of the bail application, the ex-Speaker was said to be happily married with two young children attached to him and may be emotionally traumatized if the court denied him bail being the bread winner for his family. The affidavit also indicated that the accused cannot escape out of the country because his travelling documents include the diplomatic passports have been seized by EFCC and that it is in the interest of justice that he be allowed bail since EFCC has completed its investigation into the alleged offence.
Arguing the bail application, Awomolo urged the court to admit Bankole on self-recognition as the prosecution had not placed sufficient materials to convince the court to refuse the bail application. He described as hearsays and speculative the claim by the EFCC that Bankole was planning to flee to the United Kingdom before he was arrested. Besides, Awomolo said that the fear that an accused person will run away or jump bail is not a reason in law for denying bail because to jump bail has its own criminal consequences. In addition, it was his submission that the world is a global village where criminals have no hiding place.
He supported his argument with a Court of Appeal decision in James Ibori Vs Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Responding, the prosecution counsel, Keyamo urged the court to refuse the bail application on the grounds that Bankole did not place sufficient materials to warrant the court exercise its discretion in his favour.
He told the court that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against the accused and that many of the paragraphs in the bail applications did not meet the requirement of law in considering bail application.
Keyamo particularly drew the attention of the court to paragraphs 5,6 and 7 of the application where the accused raised the issue of young children and aged parents as reasons for bail.
Meanwhile, the embattled speaker has raised the alarm over plans by the EFCC to re-arrest him after he might be released on bail. In a letter to the Commission by his counsel, Chief Awomolo, Bankole said he heard from competent sources that the EFCC has perfected plans to re-arrest him immediately he is admitted to bail by the court.
Excerpts from the letter reads; We were further informed that the Commission’s operatives will re-arrest our client immediately he is admitted to bail on the ground that the Commission requires him in respect of investigations of other allegations made against him not related to the charges before the court. The charge sheet which specifically bordered on abuse of the public Procurement Act was filed on Tuesday by the prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo to confirm Daily Sun report on the subject matter.
The charges where built around allegations bordering on contract inflation for the purchase of sundry items including but not limited to electronic gazettes, vehicles and other accessories.
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