Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja division on
Thursday granted bail to Comrade Abba Moro, Nigeria’s former minister of
Interior who is on trial over the 2014 Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS
recruitment scandal which claimed about 14 lives.
While granting Moro bail on self recognition, the Judge said Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to prove its allegations that
the former minister will interfere with the ongoing investigations of the
case if he was allowed to be free.
He also noted that the offences Moro was charged with was bailable.
However, the two defendants being tried alongside Moro were not so lucky
as the judge granted them bail in the sum of N100 million each with a
surety in like sum.
The judge specified that the sureties must be of the directorate cadre in
the civil service.
In addition, the judge specified that the sureties and the defendants must
submit two recent passports, international passports, and must also have
landed properties worth the amount in any part of the country.
Moro and four others were arraigned on 11-count charge of money laundering
by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday.
The anti-graft agency accused the defendants of defrauding 676,675
applicants of the sum of N676,675,000, being the aggregate of N1000 paid
by each applicant in the botched recruitment exercise to Drexel, a company
which handled the exercise.
The company is the fifth defendant in the case.