Court grants ex-minister N50M bail

monjola sotubo

November 10, 2016 12:31 PM

Fani-Kayode was taken into custody by EFCC agents on October 21, outside the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode appears in court on June 28, 2016

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode bail of N50 million.

Fani Kayode appeared before the court on Thursday, November 10, 2016, on money laundering charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He will be required to provide a surety in like sum as part of the bail requirements.

Fani-Kayode was taken into custody by EFCC agents on Friday, October 21, outside the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, Punch reports.

He had visited the court for a continuation of his trial on fraud charges brought against him by the EFCC.

Fani-Kayode had said, on Thursday, October 20, that the EFCC was planning to re-arrest him on politically motivated charges.

“I have been reliably informed by my sources within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that they are planning to re-arrest and detain me for as long as possible once again even though I have been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Lagos. Fresh charges were filed against me by the EFCC at the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 7th," he said.

“The allegations border on a baseless allegation and false claim that I received twenty six million naira from the NSA's office in 2014. These are politically-motivated charges and there is no truth in or substance to them whatsoever.

“Because of that the matter is now seized of the court yet the EFCC are still planning to arrest me probably at the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos after I appear there on Friday 21st October to attend my trial on the trumped up and, again, politically-motivated charges concerning the presidential campaign funds.

“If they do not arrest me then they will arrest me and seek to detain me for as long as possible soon after that. Whichever way they will come and I am ready for them. I am not running. The truth is that the EFCC are a ready, willing and able tool in the hands of the hawks and hardliners in the Buhari administration and they are apparently acting on orders," he added.

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Fani-Kayode was initially arrested in May after being accused of money laundering by the EFCC.

He was released in July after spending more than two months in detention.

monjola sotubo