An FCT High Court Maitama has admitted four officers of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to bail of a total sum of N71million.
Those admitted to bail are Samuel Umoru, Daniel Agbo, Priscilla Ogunsola and Aliyu Yakubu. They were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with alleged misappropriation of various sums of money belonging to JAMB.
Umoru, a state coordinator was charged along Philomina Chieshe, who allegedly blamed the alleged disappearance of the money on a snake. Chieshe was however admitted to bail last Thursday.
Ruling on Umoru’s bail application yesterday, the trial judge, Justice Peter Affen admitted Umoru to bail in the sum of N25 million with two sureties who must be residents of Abuja. He ordered that one of the sureties must have landed property in Abuja worth the value of the bail sum.
The judge also ordered the Umoru’s counsel, Ifeanyi Ihejirika, to put in writing the good characters of the sureties.
He further held that the court registrar would then verify the addresses of the sureties, while the defendant must drop his international passport with the court.
Affen also ordered that pending when the defendant meets the bail conditions, he would be remanded at Kuje Prison.
He then adjourned until September 30 for the commencement of trial.
In the case of Agbo, Justice Affen admitted him to bail in the sum of N6 million and one surety in like sum. He adjourned the further hearing of his matter until October 10.
EFCC alleged that as a state coordinator in charge of Lokoja, Agbo misappropriated the sum of N6 million
For Ogunsola and Yakubu, the judge admitted them to bail in the sum of N20 million each with two sureties in like sum.
Ogunsola was separately arraigned on a four-charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and dishonesty use of JAMB funds to the tune of N26.4million while serving as JAMB coordinator in Benin. Yakubu, a revenue officer of JAMB in Kano was arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on misappropriation of N20 million.
They were ordered to drop their international passports with the court, while they are remanded in Kuje and Suleja prison respectively pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions.
Their cases were adjourned to October 10 and until October 15 for the commencement of trial.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
