ABUJA – Barely 10 minutes after Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, Monday, released the embattled former speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole on bail, he was immediately re-arrested by security operatives from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Bankole was yet to perfect any of the conditions upon which the trial court granted him bail, before scores of armed mobile police men swooped on him shortly after the trial judge terminated the court proceedings around 11:16am.
He was subsequently whisked away in a white coaster bus marked ABUJA-BR-739-BWR, amidst protests from both his lead counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, and his teeming supporters who besieged the court today with a view to celebrating the release of the erstwhile speaker who has already spent eight days in EFCC detention.
Speaking to Vanguard after the arrest, prosecuting counsel, Mr Festus Keyamo, disclosed that a fresh 17-count criminal charge has been entered against the embattled former speaker and his deputy, Alhaji Usman Bayero Nafada, before a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting at Apo.
Keyamo said the anti-graft agency has concluded plans to dock the duo by 2pm today, saying the fresh charge against them, bothers on allegations that they sidelined due process to secure a N40 billion loan towards the tail end of their administration.
The EFCC maintained that both the former speaker and his deputy, connived with other persons currently at large, to illegally divert the said funds into their private pockets.
Meantime, Justice Okorowo granted bail to Bankole in the sum of N5million, adding that he should provide a surety in like sum.
While ordering both the accused and his surety to surrender all their travelling documents to the court registrar, he stressed that the said surety must not only be resident within the Federal Capital Territory, but equally, an owner of a landed property in Abuja.
The Judge directed that the intended surety must tender the title deed of his property to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the High Court for authentication, noting that the accused person should be remanded in EFCC custody should he default on any of the bail conditions.
SOURCE: VANGUARD
It would seem the tale of woes for the former Speaker of the House of Representative are far from over.
we thank you Nigeria EFCC, FOR ARRESTING THIS MAN EASY, WE KNOW THAT IT IS A BIG CRIMINAL
How sure are we that he really did all his been accused of, afterall they are so many people walking freely on the streets of Nigeria with different criminal offences, why don’t the EFCC arrest them instead of punishing a young man who has sered this country well.
Dimeji Bankole’s Persecution
It is important for us to know a few facts about this so much celebrated arrest of Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole. First and foremost the poor young man who is undoubtedly the most celebrated and talked about Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives seem to have a negative balance with the press. An average Nigerian journalist will readily tell you the guy is stingy, a reason they over blow any scandalous story about the young man.
Now to the present story, it is needful to ask questions on why the Government has exerted so much effort in convicting this young man with his arrest even when he was yet to hand over as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Also important is why the anti graft agency had to hurriedly go and arrest the young man even before the date of his appointment with them.
Bankole was arrested on ground of a N10b loan allegation and after holding him for 48hrs the anti graft agency realising its folly of baseless allegation & accusation came up with phony charges of Contract Award of Television sets, desktop computers etc. Ordinarily the National Assembly as a government institution has a Clerk (who is also the Chief Accounting Officer), Deputy Clerk, Auditors, Accountants and other officers who constitute the NASS Tenders Committee that is saddled with the responsibilities of vetting and award of contracts. How then can that be woven round the Speaker?
Why on earth is Dimeji being held alone even when the EFCC itself stated that he’s just one of the lot of people alleged?
Why has every ploy and tactic been employed to deny him bail?
What is the government afraid of?
Why was his arrest done a day before the election of a new Speaker of the House of Reps?
Why were the EFCC officials also combing the town and the Assembly premises for the new Speaker & his Deputy who were to stand election that day?
All these point to the several security info that the Jonathan administration was hell bent on stopping Tambuwal (a known associate of Dimeji Bankole) all in the bid to install a less acceptable and feather weight Mulikat Abiola-Akande from Ibadan as its rubber stamp Speaker of the House .
Why Would Bankole’s Father be making case that his son should be released?When Bankole was busy carting away BILLIONS of Naira,Dollars,Pounds etc(Only GOD knows the other currencies),Bankole’s Father No talk then.I believed and think,if he has done what he was accussed of,He should be PUNISHED…LOL
bankole…see how u are been dragged.thank yr star that it was not on the ground.So after all the PRADO Jeeps,u could be treated like this.U are a Disgrace to Man folks…What a Colossal Pity.I pity yr family cos are NOW an EX-…….?