Justice JOHN TSOHO of the Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out the bail application by former Chief of Defence Staff, ALEX BADEH.
Ruling on the bail application, Justice TSOHO held that he would not give an order for the release of BADEH who has been in custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, since there was a subsisting remand order by a Magistrate Court which has not been set aside.He held that the former CDS only filed an application for bail, and not an application to set aside the order of the Magistrate Court which the anti-graft agency obtained to keep him in custody.BADEH is currently facing a 10-count charge of criminal breach of trust and corruption to the tune three point nine billion naira which the EFCC linked to the alleged two point one dollars arms deal scandal, and has since February 8 been in custody of the agency.Counsel to BADEH, SAMUEL ZIBIRI, filed an application seeking that his client be granted bail on self-recognition or on liberal terms pending his arraignment by the EFCC.He premised the application on the fact that his client had voluntarily honored EFCC’s invitation on February 8.The defense counsel argued that BADEH has been held in detention for more than the stipulated period required by the constitution without trial.However, Counsel to the EFCC, COSMOS UGWU urged the court to allow the commission to complete its investigation.UGWU contended that the BADEH’s current detention in Lagos was not related to the earlier issues that led to his invitation and subsequent detention in Abuja.
