Home / News / Local / Forgery case: Court grants bail to Saraki, Ekweremadu on ‘self recognition’; Presidency has been hijacked — Senate President declares
Senate President, Bukola Saraki

Forgery case: Court grants bail to Saraki, Ekweremadu on ‘self recognition’; Presidency has been hijacked — Senate President declares

Senate President, Bukola Saraki
Senate President, Bukola Saraki
Justice Yusuf Haliru, of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Monday, granted Senate President Bukola Sarakiand his deputy bail on self recognition in the forgery suit preffered against the pair by the Attorney General of the Federal (AGF).
Haliru equally granted bail to two other accused persons; Salisu Maikasuwa, former clerk of the National Assembly, and Benedict Efeturi, Deputy Clerk of the House.
‎The judge held that the essence of bail was to enable an accused person to stand trial.
He also said that accused persons had not been proved guilty, hence the need to release them on bail.
However, he ordered that the defendants were to provide two reasonable sureties who must be Nigerians and who must own property in Abuja, the failure of which they would be remanded in Kuje prison, Abuja.
Paul Erokoro, Saraki’s counsel, ‎had asked the court to grant his client bail on self-recognition.
“The entire proof of service did not mention the third defendant (Saraki) in this case. The police never investigated the third defendant,” he said.
“It is a notorious fact that the third defendant has been standing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, (CCT) so it is ridiculous to say he will run away. He is the president of the senate, where will he run to? He is too big to hide.‎ I urge your lordship to grant him bail on self-recognition.”
Making his submission, Joseph Daodu, counsel to Ekweremadu, also prayed the court to grant his‎ client bail on self-recognition.
“The third and fourth (Ekweremadu) defendants are number one and two citizens of the legislature. It is shameful we are denting our democracy this way,” he said.
“We are ready for trial even today, so we urge your lordship to grant‎ the fourth defendant bail.”
Also, Ikechukwu Ezechukwu, counsel to Maikasuwa, asked the court to grant his client bail, saying that he was ready to stand trial.
“The essence of bail is to secure the attendance of the defendant. Throughout the period of investigation the defendant ‎was never detained,” he said.
“Attendance to court is the primary objective of bail.‎ We urge the court to grant the application.”
On his own part, Mahmud Magagi, counsel to Efeturi, asked the court to grant him bail on liberal terms.
“This application is seeking an order admitting the second defendant to bail pending the determination of the case,” he said.
“We urge your lordship to grant the second accused person bail on liberal terms.”
But Muhammadu Diri, counsel to the federal government, the prosecution, said that the court could go ahead to grant Saraki bail.
He, however, “vehemently”‎ opposed the bail applications of the other accused persons.
“The prosecution don’t want to oppose the bail application of Bukola Saraki because he is the senate president, we don’t want to create a vacuum in the legislature,” he said.
“But we vehemently oppose the bail applications of the fourth (Ekweremadu), first (Maikasuwa) and second (Efeturi) defendants. The three defendants evaded the process of service. The three defendants if granted bail may evade trial.‎”
The judge adjourned to July 11 for trial.
Meanwhile, speaking shortly after his first appearance in Court Room 32, FCT High Court, Jabi, Abuja, Saraki, in a statement, regretted that the Presidency ‘has been seized’ by another government ‘to pursue their nefarious agenda’.
Saraki, who described his latest legal battle as proof of the “persecution and distraction” that have been visited on him, however, pledged to remain true and committed to the responsibilities that his citizenship and office have imposed on him.
“Today, we, the leaders of the Nigerian Senate, reiterate our innocence against the charges filed by the Attorney-General of the Federal Government of Nigeria at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on the allegations of forgery of the Senate Standing Rules document.
“In our view, the charges filed by the Attorney-General represent a violation of the principle of the separation of powers between the executive branch and the legislative branch as enshrined in our Constitution. Furthermore, it is farcical to allege that a criminal act occurred during Senate procedural actions, and the mere suggestion demonstrates a desperate overreach by the office of the Attorney-General. These trumped-up charges are only another phase in the relentless persecution of the leadership of the Senate.
“This misguided action by the Attorney-General begs the question, how does this promote the public interest and benefit the nation? At a time when the whole of government should be working together to meet Nigeria’s many challenges, we are once again distracted by the executive branch’s inability to move beyond a leadership election among Senate peers. It was not an election of Senate peers and executive branch participants.
“Over the past year, the Senate has worked to foster good relations with the Executive branch. It is in all of our collective interests to put aside divisions and get on with the nation’s business. We risk alienating and losing the support of the very people, who have entrusted their national leaders to seek new and creative ways to promote a secure and prosperous Nigeria. As leaders and patriots, it is time to rise above partisanship and to move forward together.
“However, what has become clear is that there is now a government within the government of President (Muhammadu) Buhari, who have seized the apparatus of executive powers to pursue their nefarious agenda.
“This latest onslaught on the legislature represents a clear and present danger to the democracy Nigerians fought hard to win and preserve. The suit filed on behalf of the Federal Government suggests that perhaps some forces in the Federal Republic have not fully embraced the fact that the Senate’s rules and procedures govern how the legislative body adjudicates and resolves its own disputes.
“Let it be abundantly clear, both as a citizen and as a foremost legislator, I will continue to rise above all the persecution and distraction that have been visited on me. In the words of Martin Luther King Junior, ‘the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at a time of challenge and controversy’.
“I will remain true and committed to the responsibilities that my citizenship and my office impose on me. Without doubt, the highest of those responsibilities is the steadfast refusal to surrender to the subversion of our democracy and the desecration of the Senate. This is a cross I am prepared to carry. If yielding to the nefarious agenda of a few individuals, who are bent on undermining our democracy and destabilising the Federal Government to satisfy their selfish interests, is the alternative to losing my personal freedom, let the doors of jails be thrown open, and I shall be a happy guest”.

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