The Plateau State High Courts 9 and 11, have granted bail to Noah Kekere, an alleged organ harvester in Jos.
Kekere and two others were arrested in September, and subsequently remanded in to Jos Correctional Centre over an alleged kidney theft, criminal conspiracy and human organs trafficking of one Mrs. Kehinde Kamaru and another Ibrahim Ajibade respectively.
However, our correspondent reports that the defence counsel to the accused, Barr. Samuel Shaka, had in November 2023, sought their release on bail, but the motions were separately opposed to by the state ministry of justice, led by Director of Public Prosecution, Barr. Williams David on the ground that the offences were capital.
However, Justice D.G Fombing of High Court 9, while ruling on the two applications on Wednesday, held that he was unable to find any of the five adverse circumstances provided under Section 177 of the ACJL, 2018, that could refuse the grantig of the bail in the application to warrant the refusal of bail to the defendants.
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“1 am not satisfied that the defendants have met the requirements for their admission to bail. Accordingly, this application succeeds,” he said.
According to Justice Fombing, the accused are admitted to bail upon fulfilments of five conditions; including the sum of N20 million with two sureties in the like sum each.
“One of the sureties to each applicant shall either be his biological father or mother or brother or sister.
“The other surety of each applicant shall be his paramount ruler who is a graded chief on the pay roll of the government, who shall provide the evidence of his appointment as such to the court.
“Each surety shall supply two copies of his or her recent self-passport photographs to the Court.
“The defendants/applicants shall deposit the original copies of their passport with the registrar of this court,” the court ruled.
Justice Fombing adjourned the matter to January 28, 2024 for hearing on the substantive suit.