Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday varied the bail conditions for publisher-activist Omoyele Sowore and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, in their treasonable felony pre-trial.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu who granted the variation, however, expressed disbelief that a man of Sowore’s pedigree did not have anyone to deposit N50 million.
She had earlier granted a N100 million bail to Sowore with two sureties who must be resident in Abuja and have landed property within the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the variation, the court reduced Sowore bail terms from N100 million bail to N50 million and removed N50 million security deposits.
For Bakare, the N50 million bail was reduced to N20 million by the court.
They were arraigned on charges of treasonable felony, among others and granted bail on October 4.
However, days after the court ruling, they were still being held in custody owing to their inability to meet with the bail conditions, which Sowore’s counsel, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) described as stringent.
Following the development, both defendants filed a motion seeking a variation of the bail conditions to those which they could readily meet.
Justice Ojukwu had also barred them from participating in any form of protest pending the conclusion of their trial.
The judge also ordered him (Sowore) to deposit N50 million in the account of the court as security.
She granted Bakare bail at N50 million with a surety in the same amount and barred him from travelling out of his base in Osogbo, except while coming for the trial in Abuja.
The judge added that the sureties, who must be resident in Abuja, must also have landed assets worth the bail sum in Abuja and should deposit the original title documents of the assets with the court.
Justice Ojukwu ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS) pending when they are able to meet the bail conditions.