Sani blows hot as court grants him N10m bail

Civil rights activist, Senator Shehu Sani, has said that time it is time to prove that his trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegation of extortion is politically-motivated. He was, however, granted N10 million bail yesterday and the matter adjourned till February 24.

Sani was arraigned by the EFCC before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, for allegedly collecting $15,000 from Alhaji Sani Dauda (ASD) on November 20, 2019, promising to give the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Muhammad Tanko, to influence some pending court cases.

The eighth National Assembly senator was also alleged to have collected $10,000 from ASD to bribe the acting chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.His aide, Suleiman Ahmed, stated that commencement of the trial was a good development.

In the statement entitled, ‘Our Response to the charges and arraignment of Senator Shehu Sani by EFCC’, Ahmed said, “With open hearts and clear conscience, we welcome, at last, the political arraignment of Senator Shehu Sani by EFCC after 30 days of illegal arrest and detention in an inhospitable environment.

“The court is an opportunity for Sani to proof his innocence after a baseless and unsubstantiated allegation that had been carefully concocted and fabricated for political reasons.

“The arraignment is simply the last part of the scripted drama produced and directed by the accuser and his political sponsors and later backed by the EFCC.” He maintained that Sani was framed up and persecuted for his views and criticism of the government.

Meanwhile, he told The Guardian that the senator had been granted bail and “we are trying to meet his bail conditions.”Justice Ekwo, who granted the bail application, said the senator must produce a surety, who must own a landed property worth N10 within Abuja, to sign the bail bond.

He also ordered Sani to deposit his international passport and only travel outside the country with the permission of the court.But Ahmed noted that title of the case brought against Sani by the EFCC read FGN vs Shehu Sani, instead of ASD Motors Chairman, Sani Dauda vs Shehu Sani.

“So, it is now clear that it is the Federal Government that is having legal fight with the senator and not ASD motors chairman who is alleging extortion,” he added.