A Federal High Court has granted bail to the senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume.
Senator Ndume has been in detention since Monday over his suretyship for former Pension Reforms Task Team Chairman, Abdulrasheed Maina, who had jumped bail.
But Justice Okon Abang who granted the bail on Friday said the decision was based on the senator’s record of good behavior in court.
The bail was granted to the senator pending the hearing and determination of his appeal filed at the Court of Appeal challenging his remand.
He ordered the senator to produce one surety who must be a resident of Abuja and present evidence of ownership of property anywhere in Abuja.
According to the judge, the surety must also depose to an Affidavit of Means to indicate his readiness to forfeit the bail guaranty should the senator also jump bail.
Ndume had been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre for failing to produce the former Pension Task Team boss.
He had stood as surety for Maina, who is standing trial on alleged money laundering charges.
However, Maina has repeatedly failed to appear in court for the continuation of his trial.
Consequently, in a bench ruling delivered by Justice Abang on November 3, the court ordered his remand pending the fulfillment of his bail bond, which is a forfeiture of N500 million to the Federal Government.
The court had also empowered the Federal Government to sell Senator Ndume’s property at Asokoro in order to recover the N500 million bond.
Justice Abang added that Ndume will be released from Kuje once he is able to pay the N500 million or if the prosecutor is able to dispose of the property and payment is made to the Federal Government.
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