After spending 23 days behind bars, the national publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Olisa Metuh, has finally left Kuje prison, Abuja today. This was after meeting the conditions of bail handed down by two separate high courts.
The party’s director of new media, Deji Adeyanju announced today: “we are on our way to the house now. We met the bail conditions about 20 minutes ago, and we are just leaving the federal high court,” Adeyanju said.
Metuh, until Thursday, had been in custody since January 5.
A federal high court judge in Abuja, Justice Okon Abang, Maitama, Abuja, had granted him bail in the sum of N400 million, with two sureties and landed property at Maitama.
However, the PDP spokesman asked for a variation of the conditions of the bail whereas, Abang ruled that he must perfect the conditions of bail for him to be released from prison.
Citing a ruling of the court granting him bail, Abang held: “The court cannot be expected to seat on appeal over its decision.” He directed the accused person to go on appeal against the ruling of the court if he was dissatisfied with it. However, the judge, while stating that the decision of the court to grant Metuh bail was not to keep him in custody, varied the condition requiring the accused person to have two sureties who must have landed property at Maitama, Abuja. He held that the scope of ownership of property for the sureties was now expanded to include all parts of the federal capital territory. In other words, the sureties must have landed property within Abuja, and not just at Maitama. That was the only prayer in the application for variation of bail sought by Metuh that was granted.
Another high court judge in Abuja, Justice Ishaq Bello, last week granted Metuh bail in the sum of N300 million with two sureties in the like sum.
The PDP spokesman is facing a seven-count charge of money laundering at the federal high court, and two-counts of destruction of accused person statement at the FCT high court. [myad]
