Breaking: Embattled Niger APC Chairman, other granted bail

The embattled factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in NIger State, Engr. Mohammed Jibrin Imam and the State treasurer of the party, Dr. Shafiyi Abdulsalam has been granted bail by the Minna Chief Magistrate Court No1.

The chief Chief Magistrate, Nasir Mua’azu granted them bail at the sum of N5 Million with two sureties each who must be residing within the jurisdiction of the Court in Minna.

In his ruling on the oral application made their Denfence Counsel, Barrister Musa Suleiman, last week Wednesday, the chief Magistrate Nasir Mua’azu further ruled that the two of their sureties must show the court tevidence of their residence in Minna.

Although, the embattled Chairman and the party, State treasurer were not physically present in court, but their relation, friends and political associates were in court as early as 8.00 o’clock in the morning of Monday. They waited in anticipation for their arrival from the Minna Federal Correctional facility

However, Chief Magistrate Nasir Mua’azu said the State Secretary of the party, Barrister Mohammed Liman, who was included in the police first Information Report (FIR), but was declared at large by the men of the State Criminal Investigation and iinteligence Department (SCIID), has been told to sort out his case with the men of the SCIID in the next adjougned date.

Barrister Liman was not in court when they were earlier arraigned in Court last week Wednesday for his plea to be taken along with them.

The factional chairman of the rulling APC in Niger State, the party Secretary and the State treasurer of the party have been at dagger drawn in the last four months following a petition forwarded to the State Commissioner of Police Adamu Usman, by the Financial Secretary of the party, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Nma alledging that the embattled factional chairman embezzled the sum of over 856 Million Naira belonging to the party.

The Chairman was invited by the men of the SCIID of Niger State Police Command for questionings, which he was detained on the order of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of SCIID in the State, Alhaji Abdullahi Tahir Ya’u and was granted bail.

In apperent move to claim his innocence in the matter, Engr Mohammed Jibrin Imam challenged the Niger State Police Command through a litigation at the Minna High Court No. 8 presided by Justice Balkisu Gambo Yusuf.

The embattled Chairman through his counsel, Barrister Musa Suleiman, approached the High Court challenging the Police of incompetent to arrest him over the financial position of the party.

The police obtained judgement against the embattled factional Chairman at the High court as delivered by the presiding Justice Balkisu Gambo Yusuf.

The police on Wednesday last week dusted his case files and slammed him with three count charges which bothered on criminal conspiracy, criminal misappriopriation and criminal breach of trust.

The duo were then remanded in Correctional facility as they were formally arraigned in court and were admitted to bail by the presiding Chief Magistrate Nasir Mua’azu.

The case has been adjougned to 5th of October 2020 for further mention.

However, as at the time of filing this report, the embattled factional Chairman and the treasurer were yet to perfect their bail conditions as granted to them.