A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, and
presided over by Justice Simon Amobeda, has denied journalist, Agba
Jalingo, bail.
Jalingo was arraigned on September 25, 2019 on four count
charges of treasonable felony, terrorism and attempt to topple the
Cross River State Government after 34 days in police custody.
Justice Amobeda, who also threw out the preliminary objection of
the prosecution counsel, held that the charges were grave with one
carrying a capital punishment.
He also said that one of the grounds for which bail was applied
for was health and there was no substantial evidence to prove that
his health was failing.
Jalingo was arrested and is being prosecuted for publishing a
report exposing how Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River approved and
immediately diverted N500m meant for Cross River State Microfinance
bank.
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Justice Ijeoma’s Order: Will Sowore Get Dasuki’s
Treatment on Bail?
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the federal high Court who granted
detained former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki bail in
July 2018 has today also granted the detained publisher of Sahara
Reporters, Mr. Omoyele Sowore bail on stringent conditions.
The Federal Government through the Department of State Security
Service (DSS) is yet to complied with the judgement on the former
NSA even when a superior court of Appeal further granted another
bail to Dasuki on July 10, 2019 on the same case.
PRNigeria[1] recall that during her
ruling on Monday, July 2, 2018, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu had said the
continued detention of Dasuki for more than three years was an
aberration of the country’s rule of law as the former NSA had been
granted bail by other courts five different times, orders that have
been ignored by the DSS.
Meanwhile, in a ruling on Sowore’s bail application on October
4, 2019, Justice Ijeoma granted the activist bail in the sum of
N100million and two sureties in like sum.
The sureties must show evidence of tax payment for three years
of 2014. 2015 and 2016 and must be resident in the Federal Capital
Territory. Also the two sureties must have landed property in Abuja
worth N100M and must deposit original copies of the landed with the
court.
According to the court, Sowore must not travel out of Abuja
during his trial and was prohibited from participating in any form
of rally during the period.
Sowore was also ordered by the Judge to deposit N50M with the
court registry as part of the bail conditions . He is to remain in
the custody of the Department of the State Security Service DSSS
pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
The second defendant, Olawale Adebayo Bakare was admitted to
bail in the sum of N50M and one surety in like sum. His surety must
also produce three year tax clearance and must be resident in the
FCT in addition to depositing the original copy of the property
title with the court.
However, he his restricted to Osogbo throughout the trial except
when coming to Abuja for the trial.
He is also expected to remain in the custody of the DSSS pending
the perfection of his bail conditions.
Sowore was arraigned in the court on 7-count charges comprising
treasonable felony over his alleged call for revolution in the
country and money laundering among others.