Court grants El-Rufai N100m bail with stringent conditions

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in the sum of N100 million over alleged breach of national security.

 

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, while ruling on the bail application on Monday, imposed stringent conditions for the former governor’s release.

 

The court ordered El-Rufai to provide one surety in like sum. The surety must reside in either Maitama or Asokoro areas of Abuja and deposit the original Certificate of Occupancy of a landed property with the court registry.

 

According to the court, the surety must also be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 17 and provide evidence of at least three months’ salary payments, authenticated by a bank manager within the court’s jurisdiction.

 

The surety is further required to depose to an affidavit of means, enter into a bail bond and submit a recent passport photograph to the court registry.

 

Justice Abdulmalik also directed El-Rufai to surrender all valid international passports to the court.

 

The court ordered the submission of a verification letter from the surety’s department as well as a tax clearance certificate covering the last six months.

 

As part of the conditions, El-Rufai is to report to the headquarters of the Department of State Services, DSS, every last Friday of the month by 10 a.m. to sign an attendance register pending the conclusion of the trial.

 

The judge warned that failure to comply with any of the conditions would lead to automatic revocation of the bail.

 

The court also ordered the former governor to submit a letter of attestation from the Chairman of the Kaduna Traditional Council.

 

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently directed that the case be given accelerated hearing.