BREAKING: Former AGF, Adoke Gets N50m Bail

An Abuja High Court has granted former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke N50 million bail and one surety in like sum.

The surety, according to the ruling must be a Nigerian citizen with landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

Adoke is standing trial over alleged fraud in the 1.2 billion dollars Malabu oil deal.

The surety must also appear with the defendant throughout the period of trial.

Adoke was asked to deposit his international passport with the Registrar of the court.

Justice Othman Musa who gave the ruling also granted bail to the second defendant, Aliyu Abubakar in the sum of N50m with two sureties who must have landed properties within the jurisdiction of the court.

Abubakar is also to deposit his international passport with the Registrar of the court.

According to the Judge, any breach of the bail conditions during Abubakar’s trial will lead to immediate revocation.

The sureties are also expected to attend the trial with the defendant.

Similarly, the third defendant, Rasky Gbinigie has been granted bail in the sum of N10m with one surety.

Gbinigie was asked to sign an undertaking not to interfere with the trial or further investigation by the EFCC.

His surety must produce his or her three years tax clearance certificate.

The former AGF returned to the country from United Arab Emirates (UAE) on December 19 last year. He was, thereafter, whisked away by security operatives to the office of INTERPOL in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He was arrested by Interpol on November 11 last year after arriving in the UAE for medical check-up and summarily taken into custody.

His arrest followed an Interpol red alert which the Nigerian government had issued against him as part of the litigation over the controversial oil deal.

But the UAE authorities freed him after Nigeria failed to provide legal basis and other requisite bilateral supports to justify his continued detention.

The arrest warrant upon which Adoke was arrested had long being nullified by the same judge that issued it. But the Nigerian government failed to update Interpol appropriately.