Breaking News:‎ Alleged N3.9bn fraud: Badeh secures N2bn bail

Hehehehe....The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to the ‎former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd),‎ to the tune of N2billion. Badeh is facing trial over allegation that he diverted about N3.9billion from accounts of the Nigerian Air Force within 2013. Badeh In a ruling this afternoon, trial Justice Okon Abang said he was minded to ‎exercise his discretion in favour of the erstwhile military chief who has been in custody of the 



Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, since February 8. ‎‎Placing reliance on section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which presumes an accused person innocent, Justice Abang, granted Badeh bail to the tune of N2bn with two sureties who are to deposit N1bn each. The court ordered that the sureties must not only be resident in Abuja‎, but must own landed properties in the Federal Capital Territory with a valid Certificate of Occupancy. ‎ It stressed that the Chief Registrar of the court must authenticate the ownership and value of the properties. Justice Abang directed that upon being put on notice by the defendant, the EFCC should within 24 hours, Independently ascertain the residence of the sureties, as well as their ownership and value of the landed properties. Besides, the sureties are to provide their three years tax clearance certificate, deposit the original title documents of the properties, and also depose to an affidavit of means. The sureties according to the court must also submit their two recent passport photographs, as well as produce a convincing evidence that they have the means to pay the total sum contained in the charge, should the defendant jump bail. Moreover, Justice Abang ordered Badeh to surrender his international passports to the Chief Registrar of the court.
The ‎Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, urged the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to deny bail to the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd), ‎who it said looted over N3.9billion from accounts of the Nigerian Air Force. Alex Badeh ‎ Adducing reasons why the former military chief should be allowed to remain in detention, the prosecution lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told ‎the court that EFCC operatives found cash sum of $1million in Badeh’s bedroom. ‎ ‎Jacobs insisted that the $1million was part of the funds the defendant fraudulently diverted from the coffers of the Nigerian Air Force in 2013. He said the defendant purchased the building where the money was found with $1.1billion. ‎Jacobs told the trial court that though the detained ex-CDS vehemently denied ownership of the property where the money was found, the operatives that conducted the search however saw his personal belongings, including his photographs in the house. Meantime, ‎Badeh who is answering a 10-count criminal charge preferred against him by the EFCC, through his lawyer, Mr. Samuel Zibiri, SAN, prayed the court to release him on bail pending the determination of the case against him. He anchored the bail request on ‎provisions of sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as sections 156, 162 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.‎ While pleading the court to grant him bail on.self recognition or on the most liberal terms, Badeh ,contended that the allegations levelled against him in the charge were all bailable offences. ‎ Badeh who was arraigned and remanded at Kuje prison on Monday by Justice Okon Abang was however not in court when his bail application was heard. Though no reason was adduced on why the prison authorities failed to produce him in court, Justice Abang relied on the provision of section 266 of the ACJA, 2015, and held that the presence of the defendant could be dispensed with since the proceeding was for determination of an interlocutory application.