Convicted former governor of Adamawa Ngilari released from prison after serving just 20 days out of 5 years sentence

Convicted former Governor of Adamawa State, James Ngillari has been released from prison after serving just 20 days out of his 5 years sentence. He was granted bail on health ground.

Ngillari was found guilty on all five counts of conspiracy to award contract amounting to the tune of N167,812,500 for the purchase of 25 units of operational official vehicles for the state without compliance with due process.

Justice Nathan Musa less than three weeks ago said his conviction of the former Governor on section 58(5) of the Public Procurement Acts, saying “the law hands of the laws are tied to convict any person found guilty of breach of procurement acts to be sentenced to less than five years imprisonment.

He said, “The convict is sentenced to a cumulative sentence of five years, cumulatively on all the five counts to any jail in this country of his choice. But, in the meantime, he will be held here in the Yola Prison.”

Musa said that the former governor would enjoy his bail pending the determination of his Appeal.

Ngilari, having appealed the sentence, went back to the same court that convicted him, and asked for bail, pending the determination of his Appeal.

Justice Musa, after listening to arguments of counsel to Ngilari, Mr Sam Olugunorisa (SAN) and that of EFCC, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, in the motion for bail pending Appeal, granted Ngilari’s request.

The bail plea was supported by a medical report on Ngilari, from Yola Prison, which indicated that the former governor had been under intensive medical management.

The report, signed by Mr John Bukar, a Deputy Comptroller in charge of Health, stated that Ngilari had diabetes, hypertension and insomnia.

It said that Ngilari, who had been referred to Canada Specialist Hospital in Dubai, for evaluation and management, had blood pressure that was rising between 180/110 MMHG to 190/120 MMHG.