Justice Obiora Egwuatu ordered all the detained aides to be admitted to bail.

He gave the order after a recess that lasted for over two hours, following the submissions of the counsels on both sides.

The lawyer to the detained aides, Pelumi Olajengbesi had prayed the court to admit the Igboho aides to bail unconditionally

The DSS lawyer, I. Awo, told the court that he was not opposing the bail of eight of the applicants.

However, he vehemently opposed the bail of the other four applicants on the ground that the DSS’ investigation has revealed their high complicity in the offence of arms stockpiling

The DSS lawyer argued that the four aides should not be granted bail in the interest of justice and national security.

He also stated that their investigation was currently ongoing and has not been concluded.

Awo submitted that once investigation is concluded, the DSS will not hesitate to charge them to court.

“The fear of the respondent is that if granted bail, they will not make themselves available for further investigation and possible prosecution,” Awo argued.

The lawyer to Igboho aides, Olajengbesi, prayed the court to discountenance the argument of the DSS as it was unknown to Nigerian law.

Olajengbesi stated that the Igboho aides have been detained by the DSS for 34 days and are yet to be charged to court for any offence.

He argued that their continued detention violated the provisions of the constitution and was an infringement on their fundamental human right.

Olajengbesi also argued that the DSS does not need 34 days to investigate a person that they claimed was found with firearms.

Relying on the case of Bola Kale V. The State, he argued that the position of the law is that investigation cannot be indefinite

Olajengbesi urged the court to release aides on bail and assured the court that they will ensure a reasonable surety to give the DSS assurance that the applicants will be available for further investigations.

Ojerinde was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission(ICPC) on an 18-count charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/97/2021, in which he was accused, among others, of complicity in the diversion of public funds estimated at over N5.2billion while he served as the Registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO).

He was alleged to have awarded contracts for the supply of pencil and eraser at the cost of N450 million each, to Double 07 Concept Limited and Pristine Global Concept Limited, respectively, between 2013 and 2014 while heading JAMB. According to ICPC, there is no evidence to show that the items which are examination materials were supplied as the contractors cannot be found

During the hearing of his bail application today July 8, Peter Olorunnishola, counsel to Ojerinde asked the court to grant him bail pursuant to section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and section 35(1) of the constitution. However, Ebenezer Shogunle, the prosecution counsel opposed the bail application saying Ojerinde breached the administrative bail conditions granted to him by the ICPC. He said the defendant refused to bring his family members for interrogation which was one of the bail conditions.

Delivering judgement in the bail application, the presiding judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, said there is no evidence before the court to prove that the defendant jumped administrative bail or would intimidate witnesses.

He said “Bail is granted to the applicant in the sum of N200 million and two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be residents in Abuja, provide an acceptable means of identification and evidence of tax payment for three years. One of the sureties shall be a professor in a federal university, provide documented evidence of professorship, letter of appointment and staff identity card. The second surety shall be a property owner in the federal capital territory (FCT) of Abuja. The building must be covered with a certificate of occupancy which will be deposited with the registrar of this court. The residences of the sureties shall be verified, pictures of the residences showing the street name and number shall be exhibited.”

The court also ordered that the international passport of the defendant be retrieved from another court in Niger state where he is also standing trial, and deposited with the registrar of the federal high court