N4.5bn fraud: Court grants N150m bail to Ex-Gov Babangida Aliyu

Justice Aliyu Maiyaki of a Minna High Court on Wednesday granted bail to a former Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and his Chief of Staff, Umar Nasko.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had last week arraigned Aliyu and Nasko on a five -count charge of alleged misappropriation of over N4.5 billion belonging to the Niger State government.

The ex-governor and Nasko were consequently remanded at the Minna Medium Security Prisons in Tunga last Monday.

But in his ruling on the defendants bail applications, Justice Maiyaki granted bail to Aliyu in the sum of N150 million with two sureties.

The judge further directed the sureties to deposit the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of their landed properties worth N200 million each in the registry.

The sureties to Aliyu included his elder brother, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu and one of his former commissioners, Dr. Peter Sariki.

The judge also admitted Nasko to bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties.

According to the judge, the judge must deposit the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of their landed properties worth N150 million each.

But the lawyer to Nasko, Mamman Mike Usman (SAN), said his client’s bail conditions were too harsh.

He, however, expressed optimism that the bail conditions would be met before the close of work on Wednesday