Court grants ex-PDP Chairman, Bello, son N600m bail‎

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday granted bail to each of a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party,Haliru Bello,  and his son, Abba Bello‎, in the sum of N300m with two sureties in like sum.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed in a ruling on the accused persons’ bail applications also ordered that they should deposit their passport with the court‎ pending the determination of their trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday arraigned Bello and his son, accusing them of collecting about N300m meant for procurement of arms for political campaigns but was received from the Office of the National Security Adviser under the guise of using it for “safe houses”.
Also charged along with them is their firm, Bam Project Properties.
The judge in his ruling on Thursday, ordered Bello to remain under the supervision of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, at the Abuja Clinic, where he is said to be treated for injury resulting from spinal surgery.
But the court directed that Abba be remanded in Kuje prison pending when both of them would meet their bail conditions.
The judge also ruled that one of the sureties that Bello should produce must be a director in the service of the Feder‎al Government or any of its agencies.
He ruled that the other surety must own property in Abuja worth the N300m bail sum.
With respect to the son’s bail, Justice Ahmed ruled that one of his sureties must be a federal civil servant not less that Grade Level 12 ‎and the other must also own property worth N300m in the Federal Capital Territory.
The judge ruled that the title documents of the property to be presented by the sureties would be verified by court officials and surrendered to the court throughout the period the trial would last.
The court fixed February 16‎ for commencement of trial.