Abuja: Chief George Kadiri, who stood surety for Mr. James Nolan, a British national at the centre of an ongoing $9.6 billion Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) scam trial, has been arrested.
Kadiri, a retired civil servant living in Gwagwalada, Abuja, was produced before Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court on Thursday at the resumed hearing in the matter.
The surety, a traditional chief in Gwagwalada, had, on November 4, 2022, sought more time to appear in court to show cause why his bail bond should not be forfeited.
He made the plea in a motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/143/2020 filed by his lawyer, O.J. Aboge, before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, before he was elevated to the Court of Appeal.
Justice Mohammed had, on September 28, 2022, revoked the N100 million bail granted to Nolan, a director in P&ID, following his refusal to appear for his trial.
The judge, in the ruling, issued a bench warrant against Nolan and ordered that security agencies, including Interpol, arrest him wherever he is sighted within or outside Nigeria and produce him in court to stand trial.
The judge also directed that the surety appear in court to show cause why his bail bond should not be forfeited.
The order followed the application made by EFCC’s lawyer, Bala Sanga, that Nolan had jumped bail.
However, after the case was re-assigned to Justice Lifu, Kadiri had not been coming to court, and an order for his arrest was granted. When the case was called, Sanga said the commission had brought Kadiri to court in obedience to a court order.
“This charge here is different. I humbly apply for the bail bond, should it be forfeited,” he said.
Aboge, who appeared for Kadiri, sought a date to address the court on the issue of forfeiting the bail bond of N100 million.
“The cases before Justice Egwuatu and the one here are the same.
“I want to produce an argument on the various points raised before the court,” he said.
The lawyer then prayed the court for the surety to be released to him on bail.
Defendants’ lawyer, Paul Erokoro, SAN, agreed to take Kadiri on bail.
“Chief Kadiri, the surety, is a traditional chief in Gwagwalada. He will not run away. I stood surety for him at EFCC. This is my first time taking someone on bail,” Erokoro begged.
The anti-graft agency’s lawyer neither opposed the submission made on bail nor objected to the request for an adjournment.
I have no objection to an adjournment.
Justice Lifu consequently adjourned the matter until November 5 for further proceedings and a hearing on the issue of forfeiture of the bail bond entered by Kadiri.
“Meanwhile, the surety, Chief Kadiri, is herein released to Chief Paul Erokoro, SAN, on bail to be produced in court until this issue of forfeiture of bail bond is resolved or determined by the court, I so ruled.”
NAN reports that the anti-graft agency had, on August 18, 2020, arraigned Nolan before Justice Mohammed in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/143/2020.
While Lurgi Consult Limited is the 1st defendant, Nolan is the 2nd defendant in the matter.
Nolan, alleged to be at large, is also standing trial in about eight other cases for his involvement in the 9.6 billion dollars controversial contract awarded to P&ID.
Other cases listed before Justice Lifu on Thursday include charges numbers: FHC/ABJ/CR/1 44/2020, FHC/ABJ/CR/145/2020, FHC/ABJ/CR/146/2020, FHC/ABJ/CR/147/2020, and FHC/ABJ/CR/148/2020, respectively.
