Court grants Babachir Lawal N50m bail in corruption case

An Abuja division of the Federal High Court has granted bail to former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, during the Wednesday hearing of his corruption case before the court.

Lawal was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2017 based on the recommendation of a Presidential Investigation Panel headed by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

His dismissal came months after he was suspended by the president due to allegations of his complicity in the misappropriation of funds earmarked for the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) through the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).

He was indicted by an ad-hoc Senate committee who alleged that he had awarded a contract to dispose of 'invasive plant species' in internally displaced persons' (IDP) camps to a company where he had vested interest.

The EFCC officially filed corruption charges against him at an Abuja High Court last month, ending months of public condemnation for allowing him walk free.

When he was arraigned before the court on Tuesday, February 12, he was remanded in EFCC custody after he pleaded not guilty alongside other defendants, Hamidu David Lawal, Sulaiman Abubakar, Apeh John Monday, Rholavision Engineering Limited and Josmon Technologies Limited.

He faces charges relating to the fraudulent award of contracts worth N544,119,925 to Rholavision and Josmon while indirectly having a private interest.

He was granted bail in the sum of N50 million with a surety who must possess title to land within the jurisdiction of the court, show evidence of payment of tax for the past three years and must be a resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

He was also directed to deposit his international passport with the court pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions. Two other defendants were granted bail with similar conditions.

The court adjourned the case till March 18, 2019.