Yunusa is facing a five-count charge of abduction, inducing by the use of deception and coercion illicit intercourse, sexual exploitation and unlawful carnal knowledge of Ese Oruru.
Lawyer to Yunusa, Kayode Olaosebikan, confirmed the release of his client on Sunday, adding that he his people have taken him away.
“Yunusa left custody of the Okaka prison, Bayelsa State after spending over four months there,” a source said on Sunday evening.
It will be recalled that Yunusa’s legal team that includes a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had battled unsuccessfully since March to secure his release from prison custody following the bail conditions given by Justice Ajiya Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa.
Justice Nganjiwa had set a N3 million bail bond and two sureties in like sum, resident within the jurisdiction of the court as conditions for Mr. Dahiru’s release.
He had also ordered that one of the sureties must be a traditional title holder, while the second person must be a civil servant on Grade Level 12 or above.
The bail conditions also stipulated that the two sureties must submit their three-year tax clearance receipts and that the defense counsel must sign an undertaking that the accused would not jump bail.
However, the judge later relaxed the conditions after he was approached by Yunusa’s lawyers who said that they could not meet some of the bail conditions.
The court reduced the bail conditions to a level-nine civil servant and further granted the prayer of the defendant to also allow any traditional ruler from any community in the country to stand as surety.
Justice Nganjiwa had on Friday adjourned the trial to September 13 for further cross examination of Ese Oruru by Yunusa’s defense counsel. [myad]
