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By Correspondent in Abuja.
Chief George Kadiri, the surety for fleeing British national James Nolan,one of the key defendants in the alleged $9.6 billion Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) fraud,has been arrested and brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kadiri, a retired civil servant and traditional chief in Gwagwalada, was presented before Justice Peter Lifu at the resumed hearing of the high-profile case on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the surety had earlier, on November 4, 2022, applied for additional time to appear in court and justify why the N100 million bail bond he entered should not be forfeited. The application, filed through his counsel O.J. Aboge, came before Justice Ahmed Mohammed before the latter’s elevation to the Court of Appeal.
Justice Mohammed had, on September 28, 2022, revoked the bail granted to Nolan, a director in P&ID, following his repeated absence from trial proceedings. The judge issued a bench warrant for Nolan’s arrest, directing security agencies, including Interpol, to apprehend him wherever he may be found—within or outside Nigeria—and produce him in court.
The judge also ordered Kadiri to show cause why the bail bond should not be forfeited, following an application by EFCC counsel, Bala Sanga, who informed the court that Nolan had jumped bail.
After the case was reassigned to Justice Lifu, Kadiri reportedly stopped appearing in court, prompting the EFCC to obtain a warrant for his arrest.
At Thursday’s sitting, Sanga informed the court of Kadiri’s presence, stating that the commission complied with the court’s directive. He also urged the court to proceed with the forfeiture of the N100 million bail bond.
In response, Kadiri’s lawyer, Aboge, requested an adjournment to enable him present arguments against the forfeiture.
“The matter before Justice Egwuatu and this one are related. I wish to present arguments on the issues raised,” he said, further requesting that his client be granted bail.
Paul Erokoro, SAN, counsel to one of the defendants, offered to stand as surety for Kadiri, assuring the court that the traditional chief would not abscond.
“Chief Kadiri is a respected community leader in Gwagwalada. I previously stood surety for him at the EFCC. This is my first time standing surety in open court,” Erokoro stated.
EFCC counsel, Sanga, did not oppose the bail application or the request for adjournment.
“I have no objection,” he said.
Justice Lifu subsequently adjourned the matter to November 5 for further proceedings, particularly the hearing on the bail bond forfeiture.
“Meanwhile, the surety, Chief Kadiri, is hereby released on bail to Chief Paul Erokoro, SAN, and shall be produced in court until the issue of forfeiture is determined,” the judge ruled.
NAN recalls that the EFCC had, on August 18, 2020, arraigned Nolan before Justice Mohammed in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/143/2020, alongside Lurgi Consult Limited, listed as the 1st defendant. Nolan, who is now at large, faces multiple charges related to the controversial P&ID gas processing contract.
On Thursday, Justice Lifu also listed several other pending cases involving Nolan: FHC/ABJ/CR/144/2020, FHC/ABJ/CR/145/2020, FHC/ABJ/CR/146/2020, FHC/ABJ/CR/147/2020, and FHC/ABJ/CR/148/2020.
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