Nursing Mother Breaks Down Over Bail Denial

A defendant, Amarachi Enyinnaya, yesterday broke down in tears at a Federal High Court, Abuja, after the court refused to admit her to bail. The court, however, remanded her in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Enyinnaya and four others, Abuchi Igwe, Kelechi Iwuoha, Obioma Nwagu (at large) and Blessed Obialo Nigeria Limited, are standing trial on a 12-count charge of alleged money laundering and impersonation.

One of the charges preferred against Igwe was that he had in his possession documents concerning false details that he was the wife of the late Col. Gaddafi and was looking for where to invest some money.

Igwe, who is the 1st defendant, was also accused of impersonating Stella Jones, a United States soldier serving in Afghanistan, who had found some money during a raid and wanted to invest. Another charge against the defendants was that they allegedly took proceeds of an unlawful act, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act. All the accused, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), pleaded not guilty to the charges and the judge, Justice Okon Abang, said he would enter a not guilty plea for the company.

Counsel to Igwe, Mr. O. C. Ezeofor, asked the court to grant the defendant bail, saying that he had filed the bail application before arraignment because the charge had already been served on the defendant.

Mr. U. Agubam, counsel to Iwuoha, prayed the court to allow him make an oral application for bail. Enyinnaya’s counsel, Mr. E. O. Nwafor, asked the court to order that she continued to enjoy the administrative bail that was already granted to her by the EFCC.

Abang, in a bench ruling, struck out the 1st and 3rd defendants’ application for bail for incompetence and also refused the oral application of the 2nd defendant. He adjourned the case till December 14 and 15 for commencement of trial.