Kogi High Court grants Melaye bail

• Another adjourns for counsel to explain his absence
• Ize-Iyamu, Orbih absent at arraignment by EFCC

The Kogi High Court sitting in Lokoja yesterday granted bail to Senator Dino Melaye who is standing trial along with two other suspected criminals for alleged illegal possession and dealing in fire-arms.

Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Nasiru Ajanah, who is the trial judge, granted the bail application filed on behalf of Melaye by his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome.Justice Ajanah, who anchored his ruling on the health condition of the embattled senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, said from the documentary evidence proffered in the case, there was no doubt that the third defendant was suffering from some kind of ailment.

According to him: “In addition to the asthma which the third defendant alleged to be suffering from, the last medical examination shows him to have two heart bit issues referred to as ‘soft tissue trauma and stress-related hypertension.“I consider this health situation to be a special circumstance entitling the third defendant to the discretion of this court in admitting him to bail.

“In the circumstance of this case and in the light of the documentary evidence and the state of health of the third defendant, I am convinced that he is not likely to evade his trial.“I do hereby grant bail to the third defendant in the sum of N10 million and one surety in like sum.”

The surety, according to him, must be a person of means and shall so depose to an affidavit of means with verifiable address.In another development, Justice Olasumbo Goodluck of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, yesterday adjourned till May 17 for Melaye’s lawyer to explain why his client was not in court.Melaye was dragged to the Abuja court on a two-count charge bordering on giving false information, offences he denied committing.

According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the judge, after listening to the submissions of his counsel, Mr. Ricky Tarfa (SAN), and the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Magaji Labaran, adjourned the matter till Monday, June 11, 2018 for arraignment of the accused.