A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to the suspects arraigned for allegedly invading the home of Mary Odili, a justice of the Supreme Court.
A total of 15 suspects were arraigned before Justice Nkeonye Maha, the trial judge, on Wednesday an 18-count amended charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony and forgery of court documents.
Also listed as their alleged offences are an attempt to effect an unlawful search warrant at the house of the second most senior justice of the country, as well as a threat to her life and that of members of her household.
The defandants are are Adjodo F. Lawrence, Michael Diete-Spiff, Alex Onyekuru, Bayero Lawal, Igwe Ernest, Aliyu Umar Ibrahim, Maimuna Maishanu, Ayodele Akindipe and Yusuf Adaiu.
Others are Bashir Musa, Stanley Nkwazema, Shehu Jibo, Abdulahi Adamu, Mohammed Yahaya, and Abdulahi Usman.
All 15 defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CR/436/2021.
Five other suspects who were not in court are Sani Bala, Godwin Lucas (at large), Solomon Bagudu, Austin (at large) and Michael (at large).
M.O. Amodu, the prosecution counsel, upon the arrangement of the suspects, did not oppose the application for bail but urged the court to grant bail with “stringent conditions”.
Justice Maha subsequently granted bail to 12 out of the 15 suspects in the sum of N5 million each with two sureties in like sum.
The sureties, who must be resident in Abuja, must depose to an affidavit of means and must be responsible citizens.
The court held that one of the sureties must own landed property, with original copies of the property deposited with the registrar of the court, while the second surety must be gainfully employed in Abuja, with proof of three years recent tax payment.
The applicants and sureties are also to submit recent passport photographs to the court, as well as their international passports.
However, the court declined to grant an oral application for the 11th and 15th defendants and ruled that there was no bail application in respect of the 14th defendant.
Consequently, the judge ordered their remand at the Kuje correctional centre pending the next adjourned date of January 17 and 18, 2022.
All the defendants are to remain in Kuje and Suleja correctional centres pending when they perfect their bail conditions.
Persons masking as security operatives had on 29 October stormed the Abuja residence of Justice Odili over an allegation that illegal activities were going on there.
