A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the former Interior Minister, Abba Moro and two others remanded in Kuje prison custody till March 2nd when their formal bail application will be argued. The three accused persons were docked on an 11- count charge before Justice A.I Chikere by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) over the tragic Nigerian Immigration recruitment scam in 2014 where over 20 applicants lost their lives.
Moro was arrested alongside Mrs. Anaesthesia Nwaobia, a Permanent Secretary in the ministry and a Deputy Director Finance, F.O Alayegbami, who allegedly facilitated the scam. All the accused person pleaded not guilty to the 11 counts charge read to them.
At least 20 job applicants lost their lives during the recruitment stampedes at various stadia across the country.
Some of the charges against Moro and his colleagues include obtaining by false pretence, procurement offences, corrupt practices and money laundering.
The prosecution, Aliyu Yusuf made an application for a trial date and asked the court to remand the accused in the prison custody pending their trial. The Counsel to the second accused, Chris Uche SAN asked the court to grant his client bail as the application for bail has been submitted before the close of work last Friday. Uche requested the court to grant the second accused bail on the ground that she was a nursing mother. The prosecution counsel while confirming to the court that the second accused has been granted administrative bail as she has been reporting to work every day and asked the court to use its discretion.
The court held that the administrative bail granted the second accused person should persist while the 1st and 3rd accused be remanded in prison custody pending the hearing of the substantive suit. Justice Chikere then adjourned the case until March 2, 2016.
