A counsel to the convicted former Adamawa Governor Bala James Nggilari, Barrister Obed Wadzani, has reacted to the controversy trailing the bail granted his client.
He stated that the development had little to do with a contentious medical letter from Yola Prison.
In a brief chat with journalists in Yola yesterday, Barrister Wadzani said the letter from Yola Prison simply explained the reason Nggilari could not attend the hearing on his bail application.
He said Nggilari’s legal team had superior argument.
“We had superior argument and were able to present medical reports from Nigeria and abroad.
“We also presented an affidavit deposed by his wife, Hannatu Ngilari that proved his failing health.
“The bail was not based on letter from the prison,” he insisted.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Prison Service has issued query to two prison officials over the saga.
Recall that an Adamawa High Court presided by Justice Nathan Musa, ordered the release of Ngilari on bail in the sum of N100 million and two sureties in response to a letter reportedly signed on behalf of the CG by one John Bukar, Deputy Comptroller of Prisons in charge of Health.
Bukar, in the letter claimed that Ngilari’s blood pressure and other ailments had reached an alarming level.
He made a case for Ngilari to be moved from Nigeria to seek medical attention in a Canadian Hospital in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, UAE.
However, the Comptroller-General (CG) of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), denied knowledge of a letter said to have emanated from his office.
Public Relations Officer of the NPS, Francis Enobore, said that the CG had already ordered a thorough investigation into the scam to enable the service deal decisively with the perpetrators of the crime.
He said: “This is to bring to the attention of all Nigerians that the Controller General of the NPS, Mr. Ja’afaru Ahmed, neither authorized the issuance of the said letter to the judge to release the convicted former governor nor was he briefed on the matter.
“Accordingly, the CG has ordered the querying and suspension of all the officials involved in the embarrassing action so as to take necessary disciplinary actions against them.
“As a result of the ugly development, the CG has written a protest letter to both the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in Adamawa State and the judge, who granted Ngilari bail, that the said letter asking for the bail to be granted was clandestinely obtained.”
Ngilari was on March 6, 2017 sentenced to five years imprisonment without an option of fine for fraud related offences while he was governor between October 8, 2014 and May 29, 2015.
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