Corruption: Controversy trails Ngilari’s N100m bail
Former Adamawa State governor, Bala Nggilari, who was convicted for corruption and sentenced to jail for five years, has been granted bail.
Justice Nathan Musa of the Adamawa State High Court granted the bail on Monday in the sum of N100 million and two sureties on health ground after his counsel, Sam Ologunorisa (SAN) told the court that the health of his client had been deteriorating on daily basis.
Nggilari who filed an appeal challenging his conviction is currently serving his term in Yola Prison.
A letter from the Adamawa State Command of the Prison Service signed by John Bukar, a Superintendent of Prisons in charge of Medical unit at Yola Prison which was read out before the court stated that Nggilari’s blood pressure had kept rising since he was brought to the prison on the 6th of March 2017.
The letter stated that the latest test showed that Ngilari’s blood pressure rose to 200 /100 MM HG while his sugar level lowered to160 Gm /D as his condition was made worse by complete loss of appetite, sleepless nights and dehydration.
The letter therefore recommended his referral to the Canadian Hospital in the United Arab Emirates.
Justice Musa ruled that the letter from the prison alone provided sufficient evidence that the appellant was in a serious medical condition and therefore required urgent attention.
However, the state Controller of Prisons, Peter Tenkwa dissociated his command from the letter, saying the letter did not emanate from the prisons authority.
He said the national headquarters of the Service had directed him to issue query to the officer in charge of Yola Prison, Abubakar Abaka, a deputy controller and Bukar, the medical officer who signed the letter, on the strength of which the bail was granted.
When contacted, the Adamawa State Attorney General, Silas Sanga described the court’s decision as appalling, saying the prison authorities had on 24 March written to him about the good health condition of Nggilari while the letter tendered in court was written on March 23.
Ngilari had three weeks ago been handed a five-year jail term by Justice Musa for violating due process in procurement of 25 Toyota vehicles when he served as governor between October 2014 and May 2015. (Daily Trust)
