The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting at Maitama on Monday granted bail to the immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engineer Babachir David Lawal and three others.

The presiding judge, Justice Jude Okeke granted the bail to Lawal and the others namely Hamidu David Lawal, a Director of Rholavision Engineering Limited; an employee of the company, Sulaiman Abubakar and the Managing Director of Josmon Technologies Limited, Apeh John Monday with one surety in like sum.

The judge ordered that each of the sureties must be a resident of Abuja and must show the number of the residential address to the Registrar of the court. He added that the surety must be a land-title owner in the Federal Capital Territory and must also show evidence of tax payment in the last three years.

He also ordered each of the defendants to deposit their international passports with the court. Justice Okeke ordered that the defendants be remanded in EFCC custody pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions.

The four defendants alongside Rholavision Engineering Limited and Josmon Technologies Limited were on Tuesday arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on behalf of the Federal Government before the court on a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud.

Ruling on the bail applications of the defendants, Justice Okeke held that in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 the former Federal Government scribe and the three others were entitled to be granted bail.

Lawal was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2017, alongside a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr. Ayodele Oke, following a report of investigations by a panel led by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo into allegations of fraud leveled against them.

The Osinbajo panel was inaugurated by Buhari following Lawal’s indictment by a Senate committee which investigated the management of money meant to assist Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

While the committee indicted the former SGF for using his companies to get contracts worth millions of naira without executing them, the Senate urged the President to sack him from office due to his alleged involvement in the misappropriation of money meant for the welfare of Boko Haram victims.

Meanwhile, Justice Okeke  has adjourned the case till March 18 for the commencement of trial.