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Judiciary

Ngilari released from Yola Prison

 

NAN-H-44

Ngilari

Yola, March 29, 2017 (NAN) Former Adamawa Governor, Bala Ngilari, who was granted bail on health grounds, after he appeal against his five years conviction over corruption charges, has been released from prison.

Mr Peter Tenkwa, Controller of the Adamawa Command of the Nigeria Prison Service, confirmed Ngilari’s release to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday in Yola.

He, however, said that the former governor was released “without my knowledge”.

A Yola High Court 1, presided over by Justice Nathan Musa, granted Ngilari bail on Monday, pending the hearing of his appeal.

He had been jailed by a Yola High Court that found him guilty of ignoring due process in the procurement of 25 vehicles for N169 million

His bail application was supported by a medical report, which indicated that he had serious medical issues and needed to travel abroad to seek special attention.

Tenkwa told NAN that he was waiting for the court order to enable him contact the legal department of the service for advice, when the Deputy Controller in charge of the Yola prison, Abubkar Abaka, told him that Ngilari had been released.

“I called the officer in charge of Yola Prison to instruct him to await further instruction on Ngilari, only to be told that he had been released based on court warrant,” he said.

Tenkwa said that some prison officials involved in the handling of the Ngilari issue, including the Deputy Controller in charge of the Yola Prison, had been replaced, while investigation into the whole saga was ongoing.

He said that Mr John Bukar, a senior officer in the health department, was being detained pending investigation.

Bukar signed the letter that identified Ngilari’s medical concerns to include high blood pressure, diabetics and insomnia.

Meanwhile, the Chief Registrar of Adamawa High Court, Mr Danladi Mohammed, has confirmed that Ngilari  fulfilled the bail conditions before he was released.

“He was granted bail in  the sum of of N100 million with two sureties who have already submitted their Certificates of Occupancy.

“The Registrar of High Court 1 has confirmed to me that the bail conditions were fulfilled.

“For now, that is all I can tell you. If you want further details on the matter, you need to write a request to that effect,” Mohammed told NAN.

Ngilari served as Adamawa Governor from October 6, 2014 to May 29, 2015, following the removal of Ahmadu Fintiri, then Acting Governor, by an Abuja High Court. (NAN)
YMU/ETS
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Edited by Ephraims Sheyin

Judiciary

Prison letter not responsible for ex-governor’s bail – Lawyer

Prison letter not responsible for ex-governor’s bail – Lawyers

NAN-H-68

Ngilari

By Yakubu Uba

Yola, March 28, 2017 (NAN) The legal team of ex-governor Bala Ngilari of Adamawa said on Tuesday that the “controversial letter” from Yola Prison was not responsible for the granting of bail to their client.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Yola High Court 1 presided over by Justice Nathan Musa had on Monday granted Ngilari“bail pending trial” based on health ground.

Ngilari, who was earlier convicted for five years without option of fine by a Yola High Court, later appealed against the judgment.

The Attorney General of Adamawa, Mr Bala Sanga, had criticised the bail, saying that the High Court granted the bail acting on the letter from the prison read in the court.

Sanga noted that the letter was not only disowned by the Controller of Adamawa Command of the Nigeria Prisons Service, Mr Peter Tenkwa, but was also not contained in the appellant’s (Ngilari) application.

Reacting to the development, Mr Obed Wadzani, who spoke on behalf of counsels to Ngilari, said that the letter from Yola Prison signed by Mr John Bukar, who is in charge of health, was addressed to the court to justify why Ngilari who ought to be in court that day was not there.

“It is a response to the court’s Warrant of Production of Ngilari in court written to the prison.

“The letter which the judge ordered to be read to the open court was to explain why the prison authority could not present Ngilari who has serious health problem in court.

“So it is erroneous to say that the bail granted Ngilari yesterday was fraudulent or solely based on the letter that came from the prison; it is based on exercise of discretion from his lordship, the judge that is in charge of High Court 1,” Wadzani explained.

However, Wadzani said that he could not speak for the prisons when asked to comment on the controversy surrounding the letter from Yola Prison.

Tenkwa had disowned the letter which he said was not authorised by him.

He told newsmen in Yola that he was not aware of the letter and had communicated to the prison headquarters.

He said the headquarters directed him to issue a query to the officials involved in the matter, including the Deputy Controller in charge of Yola Prison, Mr Abubakar Abaka, and a Superintendent of Prisons, Mr John Bukar, in charge of health in the prison.

“Nigeria Prisons Service, as I stated, knows nothing about this letter; whoever wrote that letter is on his own. I have been directed to query the officers involved,” said the prisons controller.

Tenkwa said that all he knew was that he got a letter dated March 23 from Adamawa Ministry of Justice on health facilities in Yola Prison where Ngilari was remanded and that after accessing the facilities, he replied to the letter, informing the ministry that the facilities were okay.

“We have enough medical facilities to handle high profile inmates like Ngilari; we even received some supply of drugs on Friday,” Tenkwa said. (NAN) YMU/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Ngilari, convicted former governor of Adamawa, granted bail on health grounds

NAN-H-12

Ngilari

Yola, March 27, 2017 (NAN) Justice Nathan Musa of Yola High Court, on Monday granted bail to Mr Bala Ngilari, former Adamawa Governor, on health grounds, after he appealed against his recent conviction.

Ngilari was granted bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties, who must deposit Certificates of Occupancy of landed property owned in Yola.

Musa said that the former governor would enjoy his bail pending the determination of his Appeal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Justice Musa, on March 6, sentenced Ngilari to five years in prison, without an option of fine, for violating  the Public Procurement Act in the award of contract for the procurement of 25 vehicles.

The vehicles, which were for commissioners, were purchased at the cost of N167 million.

Musa, in his judgement, had declared that due process was not followed in the transaction.

Ngilari, having appealed the sentence, went back to the same court that convicted him, and asked for bail, pending the determination of his Appeal.

Justice Musa, after listening to arguments of counsel to Ngilari, Mr Sam Olugunorisa (SAN) and that of EFCC, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, in the motion for bail pending Appeal, granted Ngilari’s request.

NAN reports that the bail plea was supported by a medical report on Ngilari, from Yola Prison, which indicated that the former governor had been under intensive medical management.

The report, signed by Mr John Bukar, a Deputy Comptroller in charge of Health, stated that Ngilari had diabetes, hypertension and insomnia.

It said that Ngilari, who had been referred to Canada Specialist Hospital in Dubai, for evaluation and management, had blood pressure that was rising between 180/110 MMHG to 190/120 MMHG. (NAN)
YMU/ETS

Edited by Ephraims Sheyin