Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, granted bail to former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
El-Rufai was granted bail in the sum of N100 million with one surety in like sum.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik outlined strict conditions for the bail, stating that the surety must reside in either Maitama or Asokoro districts of Abuja and must deposit the original Certificate of Occupancy of a landed property with the court.
The court further directed that the surety must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 17 and provide proof of salary payments for at least three months.
The surety is also required to submit an affidavit of means, enter into a bail bond, and provide a recent passport photograph, along with a verification letter from their department and a tax clearance certificate covering the last six months.
Furthermore, the court asked El-Rufai to surrender all valid international passports.
Justice Abdulmalik also ordered him to report to the headquarters of the Department of State Services every last Friday of the month by 10 a.m. to sign an attendance register pending the determination of the case.
The court warned that any breach of these conditions would lead to an automatic revocation of the bail.
The former governor was recently arraigned over alleged tapping of the National Security Adviser’s phone.
The former governor was brought into the premises of the court at about 8:55am, on Monday, by stern-looking DSS operatives, who cordoned off the surroundings of the court.
Journalists, staff and other users of the court premises were prevented from entering immediately the former governor was brought in – a development that caused a brief protest.
Leading the brief protest, activist and former presidential candidate of AAC, Omoyele Sowore, argued that court is a public facility that should not bar any Nigerian interested to observe court proceedings.
An ICPC staff, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that the DSS operatives came to the anti-graft agency’s facility as early as 7:00am to pick up the defendant for arraignment in court.
“Yes, the ongoing case in court is not our case. They (DSS operatives) came to pick him here at about 7:00am in order to arraign him in court,” he said.
