Abuja court orders EFCC to release Goodluck's cousin Azibaola Robert on bail

ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials have been ordered to release former president Dr Goodluck Jonathan's cousin Azibaola Robert on bail after an Abuja high court passed a ruling in his favour.

 

Mr Robert had been arrested in March 23 over an alleged diversion of $40m through a firm, One-Plus Holdings, which a sister company of Kakatar Construction and Engineering Company. He is being charged with using the company to secure phoney contracts for the securing of oil pipelines.

 

Challenging his arrest, Mr Robert filed an ex-parte motion in the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja and secured an order granting him bail. Justice Olasunbo Goodluck, ruled that the bail should be guaranteed by two sureties, with each of them being a serving or retired director in any of the federal government’s ministries or parastatals and must be resident in Abuja.

 

In addition, the court also ruled that the applicant should deposit his passport to the chief registrar of the court. Justice Goodluck’s ruling on the ex parte application by held that the applicant’s detention by the EFCC for over two weeks was unconstitutional.

 

Mr Robert is said to have received the money from the then national security adviser Col Sambo Dasuki, who is also being prosecuted for diversion of funds allegedly meant for procurement of arms to fight the Boko Haram insurgency. Col Dasuki is facing charges of being the conduit behind the distribution of $2.1bn to numerous individuals.