Godwin Tsa Abuja
After five days at the Kuje Correctional Centre on the order of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, Senator Ali Ndume representing Borno South Senatorial District, regained his freedom on Friday.
His travails followed his inability to produce the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina in court for trial. The senator stood surety for Maina who is facing a 12-count charge alongside his firm, Common Input Properties & Investment Limited, over their alleged involvement in money laundering, to the tune of N2billion.
Shortly after securing his bail, Maina has refused to attend court since September 29, 2020, leading to the revocation of his bail by Justice Okon Abang. It was his attitude that landed his surety, Senator Ndume at the Kuje Correctional Centre following a remand order by the court.
Justice Abang had while ruling on the Senator’s bail application on Friday, ordered him released from detention. Although Ndume filed an appeal challenging his remand, Justice Abang held that the appeal was “incompetent” adding that his Court was only mindful to release him on bail based on the consideration that “he has been of good behaviour and conduct”.
The court, however, ordered him to produce one surety, who must be a respectable person that is resident within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The said surety, according to the court, must be an owner of landed property in Abuja with evidence of ownership.
It further ordered Ndume to deposit his international passport to the Chief Registrar of the court pending the determination of his appeal. Justice Abang held that Ndume must sign an undertaking that he would within 10 days, compile and transmit the record of proceedings to the Court of Appeal.
