Embattled Niger APC chairman regains freedom, granted bail
Embattled Niger State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Jibril Imam who has spent four days at the Nigerian Correctional Service center in Minna was granted bail by a Chief Magistrate Court on Monday.
The Chairman Alhaji Jibrin Imam and Treasurer of the party Alhaji Shaffi Abdulsalam were sent to the Center last Thursday by the Court.
Chief Magistrate Nasir Muazu granted the bail in the sum of N5m each and one surety in like sum.
In addition Muazu who ruled on the oral application for bail made by their counsel Isah Sulaiman at the sitting of the court last Thursday said the sureties should be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.
The accused persons were however not present in court. When the case was first mentioned on Thursday, Muazu directed that the APC chairman and treasurer should be remanded in the Minna Correctional Centre till Friday when ruling on the bail application will be made.
However for unexplained reasons the court did not sit on Friday.
Imam and Abdulsalam as well as two others now said to be at large were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Nasiru Muazu on a three count charge of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and criminal misappropriation all contrary to sections, 97, 312, and 309 of the penal code law.
Police prosecution ASP Ahmed Saidu had told the court that Imam and Shaffi along with the two others still at large connived to misappropriate nearly N800million belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Niger state chapter.
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According to Saidu, the money was withdrawn from two new generation banks operated by the party in Minna between 1st June, 2014 and 1st June, 2020.
Counsel to the accused persons, Isah Suleiman urged the court to allow bail for his clients, saying that the law provides that bail should be given for all manners of offences “except for capital offences. This is not a capital offense.”
