Joseph Inokotong, Abuja
Former Senate leader, Ali Ndume, has continued to remain in high spirits despite his three days incarceration in Kuje Custodial Centre of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), as he awaits the Federal High Court’s verdict on his bail application today.
Ndume, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Borno South, has been in prison custody since last Monday for standing as surety for the former defunct Pension Reformed Task Team chairman, Abdulrasheed Maina, who is believed to have jumped bail.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Maina on charges of money laundering totalling N2 billion.
Last Monday, Justice Okon Abang remanded Ndume in prison until he produce Maina or pay N500 million bail bond to the Federation Account.
Ndume’s lawyer, Marcel Oru, had, on Tuesday, filed an appeal against the remand order at the Court of Appeal, along with an application for the bail of the defendant.
In the course of Maina’s trial in absentia, yesterday, the judge acknowledged the bail application filed by Ndume’s lawyer.
According to him, the bail application was brought to his attention at about 8.58am yesterday, pointing out that he had immediately directed the matter be fixed for hearing today and that hearing notice for today’s proceedings be issued and served on the parties.
The EFCC’s counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, confirmed he had been served with the hearing notice but Ndume’s lawyer was not present in court.
A source in the NCoS told Daily Sun that as a high profile inmate, some visitors were at the Kuje Custodial Centre to confer with Ndume, a development he attributed to his upbeat mood.
According to the source, since his arrival in Kuje last Monday, Ndume has remained cheerful, exchanging pleasantries with fellow inmates and officials of the centre whenever he meets them.
“I have not seen him wore long face since he arrived here; he is always cheerful, smiling and greeting people.
He does not joke with his daily prayers. At times, people whom I think are either family members or close friends do bring food for him. Anybody that brings food must taste it before handing over to him. I don’t know the identity of the visitors, but they are big people. The senator looks like a nice man,” the source said.
