Justice Halilu Yusuf of the FCT High Court, Jabi, on Monday granted bail to Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, for alleged forgery and conspiracy.
Saraki, Ekweremadu, former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, and the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Ben Efeture, are standing trial over alleged forgery of Senate Standing Rules used for the Senate election on June 9, 2015.
They were arraigned before Justice Halilu Yusuf of Court 32 Jabi in the FCT, Abuja.
The Federal Government is the plaintiff.
In granting the accused bail, Justice Yusuf said all four must provide two sureties each who must have landed properties in any of Maitama, Asokoro or Wuse 2 area of Abuja.
He said if they are unable to meet the conditions for bail, they should be remanded in Kuje Prisons.
The accused had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Yusuf had earlier adjourned for 10 minutes due to the congestion of the courtroom.
The judge was shocked to meet a packed courtroom and ordered the court registrar to “reorganise this place”.
Over 30 senators accompanied Saraki and Ekweremadu to the court.
The judge ordered non-lawyers to give their seats to lawyers present at the court.
But the senators did not budge.
Only journalists heeded the order as the registrar zeroed in on them to enforce it.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of June, 2015, at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arm Zone, Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves, to forge the Senate Standing Order, 2011 (as amended) and you thereby committed the offence of Conspiracy, punishable under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Law.”
Count two reads: “That you Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of June, 2015, at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arm Zone, Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with fraudulent intent forged the Senate Standing Order 2011 (as amended) causing it to be believed as the genuine Standing Order, 2015 and circulated same for use during the inauguration of the 8th Senate of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, when you knew that the said Order was not made in compliance the procedure for amendment of the Senate Order, you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law.”
Saraki, Ekweremadu and the senators arrived the court at 8:48am.
They came in two Coaster buses and a string of cars.
The accused entered the “accused box”, where they pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal conspiracy and forgery.
As the case was called, Muhammadu Diri, counsel to the Federal Government, told the court that the business of the day was “arraignment.”
“This case today is for arraignment. I urge this court to direct that the two-count charge be read to the defendants for the purpose of taking their plea,” he said.
Saraki, Ekweremadu, Maikasuwa and Efeturi pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The case was stood down for an hour at the instance of the prosecution who said that he needed time to file a response to applications for bail by the defendants.
Paul Erokoro (SAN) Saraki’s lawyer did not object to the request of the prosecution just as Joseph Daudu, Ekweremadu’s lawyer, did not.
