Embattled former governor of Plateau State, Chief Joshua Dariye, who is facing trial for alleged money laundering, got a very short reprieve yesterday.
A Federal High Court in Abuja granted him bail in the sum of N100 million with a stern instruction that he must not travel out of the country.
But moments after the bail, Dariye was re-arrested and returned back to prison custody because another set of alleged money laundering offences are hanging on his neck at an Abuja High Court sitting in Gudu.
Justice Abimbola Banjoko of the Abuja High Court, however, adjourned ruling on Dariye�s bail application till this week.
Meanwhile, after days of battle of wits between the former Enugu State governor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nnamani was yesterday flown to Lagos from Abuja.
The former governor is expected to be arraigned today in Lagos for alleged corruption and misappropriation of funds while in office.
His Jigawa State counterpart, Alhaji Saminu Turaki, was brought to the Federal High Court, Abuja over his pending bail application.
The presiding high court judge in the case, Justice Binta Murtala Nyarko, took arguments from opposing counsel on the bail application before fixing ruling for this Friday. Turaki was returned to Kuje Prisons where he is being held in custody.
Justice Kuewumi, in granting Dariye�s prayer, insisted that unless the accused met the bail conditions which included provision of two sureties, he must not be allowed to return home.
One of the sureties said the court, must be a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the other, a first-class traditional ruler and that one of them must have a developed property in either Maitama or Asokoro districts of Abuja.
Dariye was also ordered to deposit both his international and diplomatic passports with the Chief Registrar of the court.
His counsel told the court that both passports were already in EFCC custody, a situation which made the court to issue another order directing EFCC to release the passports to the court�s registrar.
His lawyers, however, said they would make efforts to meet up with the bail application following which the court granted the former governor bail.
Hearing in the substantive suit has been adjourned till October 18, this year.
Dariye�s counsel commended the ruling of the court while EFCC, through his lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, also said the ruling was in order.
“Although we opposed it, the fact is that bail is purely the discretion of the court. We are satisfied with the bail granted Dariye and the conditions attached. We are not bothered because the main case against him is the charge of stealing which is before the Abuja high court sitting in Gudu,� EFCC lawyer said.
Asked if indeed the two passports were in possession of EFCC, Jacobs said: �I do not know but I will confirm it. But the question is: which passport is the court talking about? You know some of the accused persons have more than five passports. But I will find out and confirm this to you later,� he told newsmen yesterday.
It was double trouble for Dariye in Abuja last week as he was moved from one court to the other pleading with the two courts handling separate charges bordering on corruption to release him on bail.
Dariye was first taken to an Abuja high court before he had the afternoon session with the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja to make his bail application.
In the two courts that attended to Dariye’s applications, the prosecutor opposed the applications saying Dariye had a bad reputation as he had jumped bail before in London.
Nnamani, however, arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at about 10.20 am yesterday aboard a Virgin Nigeria aircraft from Abuja, where he had been recuperating at the National Hospital, Abuja.
There were indications that the former governor might be arraigned at the Federal High court in Lagos today.
The former governor was ushered out of the airport security area to the departure area at about 10:30am by stern looking security personnel, who shielded him from newsmen that gathered at the airport to cover his arrival.
Immediately Nnamani appeared at the departure hall, reporters who had been waiting for his arrival surged forward to interview him, but were resisted by EFCC officials. But the ex-governor managed to speak to reporters, uttering his usual words, “Ebano, To God be the Glory. This is democracy in action”, before he was whisked away in a grey Peugeot Expert bus with Lagos registration number, BM 760 FKJ accompanied by a white Toyota Hilux car with registration number EV 103 EKY.
His movement lacked the splendour and power that attended his activities while in office. It was a different Nnamani.
The former governor had lashed out at EFCC officials last Sunday over what he described as an undue surveillance on him at the National Hospital, Abuja.
Nnamani who walked out of his room two in the private ward of the National Hospital , Abuja about 11.30 am on Sunday to receive fresh air on the corridor was closely policed by officials of the commission apparently for fear that he might escape from the hospital.
Angered by the close monitoring of his actions and movement by the EFCC, the former governor allegedly lashed out at the EFCC men, “why are you following me up and down, am I running away?”
Already, the commission has slammed a 34-count charge of money laundering against the former governor at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
In the charge sheet, the commission alleged that the former governor looted N5.621billion and $2.28 million (N290.56 million) from the state coffers between August 2003 and May 2007.
The anti-graft agency also alleged that Nnamani used two individuals and six companies as the conduits to launder the funds.
The two people and organizations are Mr. Sunday Anyaogu, Mr. Sylvia Onwubuemeli, Rainbownet Nig Ltd, Hillgate Nig Ltd, Cosmos FM, Capitalcity Automobile Nig Ltd, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital, Renaissance University, and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.
Jul242007