Ex-FCT Minister Bala Mohammed gets bail after spending over a month in EFCC custody

Thirty-six days after his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Bala Mohammed, was on Tuesday granted bail by an Abuja High Court. Mohammed, who was arrested by the EFCC on October 24 on allegations

of fraud, has been in the custody of the anti-graft agency despite an earlier administrative bail granted him by the EFCC. Justice Hussein Yusuf had on November 25 adjourned hearing of an application for Mr. Mohammed’s bail.

However, the former minister’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), revealed that the court on Tuesday granted the former minister’s bail application. Recall that Mohammed had also filed a fundamental human right suit before the High Court of the FCT against the EFCC suing them for N100 million for dumping him in detention without bail since October 24.

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday rebuked the EFCC on the method by which it carried out its probe of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia.

While delivering judgement in a N50 million fundamental rights suit filed by Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia against the EFCC, the trial judge, Muslim Hassan, advised the EFCC to be professional in the discharge of its duties. Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, in the fundamental rights enforcement suit, is praying among other things, an order of the court declaring her continued detention by the EFCC as illegal.