JUSTICE Abubakar Talba of Federal High Court, Gudu, has granted bail in the sum of N500million to Senator Bala Mohammed, former minister of Federal Capital Territory. The court also ordered Mohammed to produce two sureties in like sum that must be a serving senator and a director in the Federal Civil Service, with landed property in the FCT.  The sureties must have the certificate of occupancy of the said property, and evidence of payment of tax in the last three years.

He is also to deposit his international passport with the registrar of the court. The bail conditions was determined and confirmed by Johnson Ojogeane, EFCC prosecutor, and Chris Uche, SAN, defence counsel.

Talba had stood down the ruling for the bail for 30 minutes to give both counsel time to work out the bail conditions. Both counsels were given time to determine the bail conditions due to their arguments during the last adjourned date.

The prosecution during the last adjourned date had asked for stringent bail conditions due to the gravity of the offence, while the defence had asked for bail on liberal terms. “The applicant has placed before this court sufficient material to warrant his bail,’’ the judge noted. He also said that bail is a human right issue, bound and protected by the Constitution.

Mohammed is facing a 6-count charge bordering on false declaration of asset, abuse of office and graft to the tune of N864 million.

Hearing of the case was fixed for July 4.

• May 12, 2017 @ 2:20 GMT