NO BAIL FOR IBORI, COURT RULES

...Adjourns till Tuesday

Justice Mohammed Lawal Shuaibu of the Federal High Court in Kaduna this morning rejected a bail application from Mr. Joseph Dauda, SAN, counsel to former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori.

Justice Shuaibu who submitted that the entire process of justice must be followed to ensure that the case is given speedy hearing, jettisoned arguments from Chief Ibori's counsels that the former Governor has stayed too long in detention to be denied bail.

EFCC prosecutors further dashed any hope of a bail plea by James Ibori's lawyers when they brought additional charges of corruption and money laundering against the former governor.

Justice Lawal added that the issue of a new affidavit from the accused person needs to be properly looked into by the EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs.

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Earlier in his argument, Jacobs drew the attention of the court to the 26-count fresh charge for adoption, which was subsequently adopted by the court.

The EFCC counsel also argued that the accused was an ex-convict and that he had mobilised some militants against some EFCC operatives while in court at the last sitting on 17 December, 2007.

The EFCC counsel also argued that the accused could jump bail if his prayer for bail is granted. He therefore urged the court to reject Ibori’s plea for bail on grounds of ill-health.

Ibori’s counsel, however, disagreed with the EFCC counsel, stating that: “Ibori was never an ex-convict, neither does he have a band of militants nor can he jump bail. He is a man of respectable personality - a former governor for that matter.”

Dauda therefore queried the inability of the EFCC counsel to study the affidavit sent by them to the EFCC.

Ibori’s counsel argued that there is no basis for the continued detention of the former governor since the case against him and the offences are bailable.

He therefore urged the court to grant Ibori bail.

But Jacobs disagreed, saying the EFCC needs to do a thorough job since the case at hand is a sensitive one that requires proper attention for justice to be done.

The judge, having listened to both parties, granted the EFCC counsel’s plea for adjournment to study the affidavit and respond properly.

The embattled former governor returned to the dock after he was discharged yesterday from the National Hospital Abuja. He was earlier admitted following ‘a medical condition’ which required ‘urgent attention.’

Ibori, who is facing a 139-count charge of corruption and money laundering brought against him by the EFCC, has been in prison custody since 17 December last year.

He was ordered to be remanded at the Kaduna Prison following his arraignment before a Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna by the anti-graft agency.

The court had declined to grant the ex-governor bail, and fixed his trial for today, 11 January, when he was again denied freedom.

The Federal High Court in Kaduna has adjourned the case till Tuesday for the continuation of the hearing.