Former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nasir el-Rufai and two former aides of his were yesterday arraigned before a Federal High Court, Abuja..
The two others are Altine Jubrin, former Director-General of the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) and Ismailia Iro, former General Manager.
They are facing an eight-count charge of criminal conspiracy and abuse of office preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They are accused of conspiring to use their offices to gratify and/or confer corrupt or unfair advantage upon one another by the irregular revocation and re-allocation of land to themselves.
The commission accused the former minister of corruptly re-allocating parcels of land, which belonged to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Plc and Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST), to his wives, Hadiza and Asia, as well as associates, such as Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, Saidu Samaila, Philip Daudu, Jamaila Alhassan and Bello Sani.
A company, System Property Development Consortium Limited (SPDC), also benefited from the allocations, it was alleged.
The alleged offences are contrary to Sections 19 and 26(1)c) and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Act, 2000.
All the accused pleaded not guilty.
Clad in a black kaftan with a red cap to match, the former minister was accompanied by some of his associates and friends, including the former Culture and Tourism Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
Moving an oral bail application, el-Rufai’s counsel and former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), urged the court to release him on self-recognition.
Said the lawyer: "He has served the country as a minister. He was not in the country when the charge was filed but when he came back, he voluntarily went to EFCC that he is back in the country and would want to know why they wanted him.
He made a statement as required and was released on bail on self-recognition. Again today he voluntarily came to court to answer the charges. The offences are bailable."
After an interjection by the EFCC counsel, Mr. Adebayo Adelodun, Olujimi applied to withdraw a motion he had earlier filed.
Counsel to Altine, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), adopted Olujimi’s argument. He added that his client had been enjoying bail granted her by the court when she was first arraigned on May 6, last year.
Iro’s counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), a former Attorney General of the Federation, adopted earlier submissions. He urged the court to grant the accused bail on self-recognition.
The prosecution counsel did not object to the oral bail application as, according to him, the accused were on administrative bail granted them by the EFCC after they provided sureties.
"The state will, therefore, ask that the accused persons provide reliable sureties as conditions for their bail," Adelodun said.
Mr Justice Adamu Bello said: "I have considered the oral bail application moved on behalf of the accused persons. I also have it in mind that the prosecution did not object to bail. I feel inclined to exercise the discretion of the court in granting bail. There is no doubt that the second and third accused persons have been attending court’s sittings. I hope the first accused will do the same."
He granted the accused N100 m bail and one surety in like sum. The surety, Justice Bello said, must be a resident of the FCT and must show evidence of landed property worth the bail sum.
The judge said the accused should remain in EFCC custody, until their bail conditions have been perfected.
Security agents attached to the anti-graft agency escorted el-Rufai out of the court in a Mercedez Benz ML350 marked Kaduna-BB417 MKA..
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