Immigration Scam: Court Grants Abba Moro Bail Without Conditions

BEVERLY HILLS, March 03, (THEWILL) – Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, who is facing charges over the 2014 tragic Nigeria Immigration recruitment in which about 20 job seekers died.

Moro had spent three days at the Kuje Prison in Abuja before the court granted him bail on self-recognition, and without any condition.

While delivering her ruling on Thursday, Justice Chikere held that Moro had no criminal record and was a former public officer; hence she believed that he would not jump bail. The judge added that the prosecution failed to prove that the accused would interfere with his trial.

The EFCC had slammed an 11-count charge against Moro and four others for allegedly collecting fraudulently N676.6million from 676,675 job seekers in the poorly handle Nigerian Immigration exercise in 2013.

Moro, permanent secretary of the ministry at the time, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia; a deputy director in the ministry, F. O Alayebami; one Mahmood Ahmadu(at large), and the contracting firm given the recruitment job, Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd are being accused of defrauding 676, 675,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Six Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy Five) Nigerian applicants of N676,675,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Six Million, Six Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand Naira).

The accused are also alleged to have contravened the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 in the contract awards by not following the necessary procedure laid down by the government.

On Thursday, the judge however ruled that the two other defendants should pay N100 million each with a surety in like sum and that the sureties must be of the directorate cadre in the civil service.

The sureties and the defendants were ordered to submit two recent passports as well as their international passports, and they must also have landed properties worth the amount in any part of the country.

After her ruling, Justice Chikere fixed April 27 for commencement of trial.