A Federal Capital Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Wednesday granted bail to former Imo State governor, Ikedioha Ohakim, in the sum of N10 million.
Ohakim is standing trial before an Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama on three counts bordering on giving false information to the police.
He was alleged to have falsely accused a certain Chinyere Amuchienwa of threatening him with a gun and fraudulently peddling a plot for sale in Ikeja, Lagos State which he said was owned by former Lagos State governor and serving minister, Babatunde Raji Fashola.
The charge brought against him by the police, punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968, read: “That you, Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 23rd day of May 2019 at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did unlawfully gave false information against one Chinyere Amuchienwa, that she threatened you with gun, knowing it to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.
“That you Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 23rd day of May 2019, at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did unlawfully gave false information against one Chinyere Amuchienwa, that you have a plot of land for sale at Lagos State, knowing it to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.
“That you, Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 23rd day of May 2019 at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did unlawfully used derogatory the name of Raji Fashola as the owner of the purported land situated at Ikeja, Lagos State and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.”
He pled not guilty to the three charges.
Justice Samira Bature of the Maitama FCT High Court held that granting the bail was at the discretion of the court.
“The defendant is hereby admitted to bail in the sum of N10million with one surety in like sum. The surety, shall be a reputable person in the society with fixed address in the court’s jurisdiction,” she stated.
”The former governor is, however, directed not to interfere with the prosecution or its witnesses, failure of which his bail will be revoked.”
The case was subsequently adjourned till January 25, 2021,for trial.