The federal government on Thursday arraigned former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, on a 42-count charge bothering on alleged fraud in the Malabu oil deal.
The former AGF and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge when read to them before an FCT High Court in Gwagwalada.
Upon their pleas, prosecution counsel, Bala Sanga, asked the court to remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Services pending the hearing of their bail applications.
He said he was served with the applications on Wednesday and would need five days to respond to the affidavits attached to the applications.
However, counsel for the defendants, asked the court to remand their clients in the custody of the EFCC and allow the bail applications to be heard on Friday.
After much deliberations, both parties have agreed that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the EFCC and the matter be adjourned to Monday for hearing of all the bail applications.
The trial judge, Justice Abubakar Kutigi, has subsequently adjourned the matter to January 27 for hearing of all the bail applications and ordered that all the defendants be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.
