Court relaxes Igbinedion’s bail conditions: Ibori’s trial adjourned to March 5

Fom Jude Ossai and Hassan Ibrahim - 19.02.2008

FORMER governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, on Monday got a respite as the Federal High Court, Enugu, reviewed its conditions for the bail granted him. Justice Olayinka Faji, after hearing the application of the counsels for Chief Igbinedion, led by Abdulahi Ibrahim, praying the court to review the 16 conditions, ordered that the issue of the accused (Chief Igbinedion) producing two federal permanent secretaries be buried.

Justice Faji, however, said the two sureties must be persons with landed properties within the jurisdiction of the court, that is Enugu and Anambra states, and Edo, the home state of the applicant.

The bail is still in the sum of N10 million for the former governor and another N10 million each for two sureties.

The sureties, in addition, will be ready to report to the court whenever they are requested to do so. Chief Igbinedion himself was told to deposit his international passport and give a comprehensive list of his residences both in Nigeria and abroad.

He was ordered to report to the EFCC, Enugu, fortnightly while the case was on. The case was adjourned to February 25 for further hearing of the substantive suit. In another development, Justice Mohammed Lawal Shu’aibu of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, has fixed March 5 for the trial of former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, even as he turned down the request of Ibori to adjourn the case for one month.

The lead counsel for Ibori, Joseph Daudu(SAN), had sent a letter requesting for adjournment because of a pending case at the Supreme Court and requested for April 18.

However, Justice Shua’ibu expressed dismay over the tone of the letter and turned down the request for a one month adjournment.