From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna on Tuesday granted bail to Mr Jimi Lawal, Senior Adviser Counsellor to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and three others arraigned for fraud and other charges.
The defendants were required to provide two sureties with a sum of N50 million in like sum. The sureties must have landed property in Kaduna, with verified Certificates of Occupancy (C of O).
The defendants were also ordered to deposit their international, national, green, and official passports, if any, with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Kaduna.
Jimi Lawal and the three others were arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over an alleged N64 million fraud.
The anti-graft agency accused Lawal Adebisi, a former Senior Special Adviser to El-Rufai; Umar Waziri, the former Accountant General of Kaduna State; Yusuf Inuwa, a former aide to the former Governor; and Solar Life Nigeria Limited, the company whose bank account allegedly received the diverted funds, of money laundering.
According to the ICPC, the defendants were charged with conniving to divert N64.8 million in three tranches: N10 million, N47.84 million, and N7.32 million, into the bank account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited, where Mr Lawal is believed to be the sole signatory.
Speaking to journalists after the court sitting, counsel to one of the defendants, Johnson Usman SAN, stated, “Today, the case came up for arraignment. The four defendants have been arraigned, and we moved a motion for their bail, which the court granted.
“The court ordered that pending the perfection of their bail conditions, they should be remanded in prison custody. We hope the perfection will be done soon, possibly by tomorrow.
“The defendants were asked to provide two sureties with a sum of N50 million in like sum. The sureties must have landed property in Kaduna, and the Certificates of Occupancy must be verified by the Registrar of the Court.
“The court also demanded that the defendants deposit their international, national, green, and official passports, if any, with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Kaduna.”
He expressed optimism that the defendants would meet the bail conditions quickly, allowing them to be released from prison custody.
The case was adjourned to 26th and 27th March 2025 for trial.