The Immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, spent his first weekend with inmates of the Kuje Prisons because of his inability to fulfill the bail conditions slammed on him by a Federal High Court. The ex-CDS, who was granted bail by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja last Thursday, following arraignment for alleged money laundering, could not immediately meet the bail conditions in order to leave the prison.
Among other conditions, he was to produce two sureties who could pay the sum of N1 billion each, have landed properties in the FCT and provide evidence of three years tax payment.
Badeh was also to deposit his traveling documents with the Registrar of the court, while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission prosecuting him, is to ascertain full compliance with the stipulated conditions before the former air force chief could be allowed to go home, pending the commencement of full trial.
Prisons sources revealed that the former CDS was still with them, having been unable to perfect the bail conditions outlined by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja. A senior prisons official confirmed also that Badeh had also refused to eat the food given to other inmates, preferring food from home.
The official said that the Nigerian Prisons Service allowed Badeh to eat the food brought by his close family members since it was optional to eat the prisons meal. “It is the right of every prison inmate to decide whether to bring in their food or eat what is provided by the NPS.
In this case, Badeh opted to eat his own food and we have no objection to that. ‘’The only condition is that the person who brings the food for him, must first taste it before giving to him,” the official explained. Badeh was remanded in prison custody on March 7 but admitted to bail on March 10 by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, following his arraignment along with a company, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, on 10 counts of money laundering.
However, a lawyer to the former CDS, Mr. Samuel Zibiri (SAN), told a national newspaper that Badeh had secured the two sureties the court mandated him to produce, raising hope he could be released early this week.
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