N1 bn Pension Scam: Court Varies Bail Terms for Accused Persons

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja on June 6, 2014  varied the terms of the bail earlier granted Aliyu Bello, a former Special Assistant to the Director of Administration (Pension Accounts) Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and Abdullahi Omeiza, a school teacher in Sokoto.

The accused persons are being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 5-count charge bordering on criminal conversion and obtaining over One Billion Naira (N1billion) from the Pension Account, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, by false pretence.

Justice Ademola had in July 2013 granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N366, 000,000 (Three Hundred and Sixty Six Million) each and a surety in like sum. However, the accused persons were unable to meet their bail conditions and approached the court for a variation.

Ruling on the application for variation of the bail terms, Justice Ademola said that bail was a constitutional right that is given at the discretion of court.

He therefore varied the terms of the bail earlier granted to the accused persons from N366,000,000 each, to N100 million each with a surety in like sum. Each of the sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and swear to an affidavit of means. The sureties are also to provide valid tax certificate. The accused persons are also expected to deposit their international passport with the court.
The case has been adjourned to September 24,2014 for further hearing.

One of the charge reads: “That you Aliyu Bello and Abdullahi Omeiza, at various times between 2009 and 2010 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, obtained by false pretence and with intent to defraud, from Pension Account, Office of the Head of Service of the federation of Nigeria, various sums in the aggregate amount of N281,623,351.87. (two hundred and eighty one million, six hundred and twenty three thousand, three hundred and fifty one naira, eighty seven kobo) through various third parties and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (A) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act”.