A federal high court in Abuja has granted bail to Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno south after he was reminded in prison on Monday.
Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), whom he stood as surety for has been on the run since February as the court considers him to have jumped bail.
But Justice Okon Abang who granted the bail on Friday said the decision was based on the senator’s record of good behaviour in court.
Ndume had been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre for failing to produce the former Pension Task Team boss.
He had stood as surety for Maina, who is standing trial on alleged money laundering charges.
However, Maina has repeatedly failed to appear in court for the continuation of his trial.
Consequently, in a bench ruling delivered by Justice Abang on November 3, the court ordered his remand pending the fulfillment of his bail bond, which is a forfeiture of N500 million to the Federal Government.
The court had also empowered the Federal Government to sell Senator Ndume’s property at Asokoro in order to recover the N500 million bond.
Justice Abang added that Ndume will be released from Kuje once he is able to pay the N500 million or if the prosecutor is able to dispose of the property and payment is made to the Federal Government