A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama has granted N100 million bail to a factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki.
Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, was arraigned before Justice Peter Kekemeke on a one-count charge of allegedly providing false information to the police.
The charge, filed by the Nigeria Police Force under the authority of the Inspector-General of Police, stems from a petition Turaki reportedly submitted on October 5, 2022. Prosecutors argued that the act constitutes an offence punishable under Section 140 of the Penal Code Law.
Earlier, on March 26, the court issued a warrant for Turaki’s arrest after he failed to appear for arraignment. However, the order was vacated on April 1 when he appeared in court and expressed readiness to face trial.
Upon arraignment, Turaki pleaded not guilty. His defence counsel, Abulaziz Ibrahim, SAN, urged the court to grant bail, citing constitutional provisions and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. He argued that the offence is bailable and emphasized Turaki’s standing as a senior legal practitioner and public figure.
The prosecution, led by Usman Rabiu, opposed the application, alleging that the defendant had initially evaded service and failed to attend court proceedings. He urged the court to deny bail, insisting that discretion must be exercised cautiously.
In his ruling, Justice Kekemeke held that bail is a fundamental right and noted that the defendant voluntarily submitted himself before the execution of the arrest warrant. He further ruled that the prosecution failed to prove that Turaki posed a flight risk.
Consequently, the court granted bail in the sum of N100 million with one surety in like sum. The surety must be either a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) with at least 20 years’ experience or a legal practitioner with over 40 years of practice.
The case was adjourned to June 11 for hearing.
