Bankole Admitted To Bail, Re-Arrested

ABUJA, JUNE 13, (THEWILL) – Embattled former parliament Speaker Dimeji Bankole has been admitted to bail in the sum of N5m naira by a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Donatus Okorowo.

Bankole’s freedom was however short-lived as operatives of the commission detained him immediately after court proceeding ended following a yet to be disclosed offence.

Justice Okorowo in admitting Bankole to bail ruled that the Prosecution failed to provide proof that the former Speaker had planned to elope to London, as no evidence was filed showing a flight ticket or travel itinerary.

However, Bankole must provide a surety who must be a land owner with at least N5m naira in value and the title of the asset must be deposited with the court’s Registrar for verification of authenticity.

The surety and former Speaker will also have to file a copy of a recent passport photograph to meet the bail conditions.

Bankole was ordered to remain in the custody of the commission until the terms of bail are fulfilled.

THEWILL gathered from EFCC sources that Bankole would be re-arranged within 48 hours inside a Federal High Court in Abuja on a new set of charges.

Recall the former Speaker was arrested last Sunday and charged for contract inflation and fraud amounting to about N900m.

His deputy, Usman Nafada was arrested yesterday (Sunday) on allegations of misappropriation and theft of House funds totaling about N40 billion naira.