Five days after he was arrested, a former
presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, is still in custody because he is unable
to satisfy his bail conditions,
Mr. Abati, a columnist, was arrested on Monday by
operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on allegations of
financial impropriety to the tune of N50 million.
When operatives questioned him about how he spent
the funds, Mr. Abati reportedly said he disbursed it to media practitioners in
his capacity as the spokesman for the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
But he said he did not keep records of the
disbursement when queried for evidence.
The journalist was subsequently granted an administrative
bail that requires presenting a senior federal civil servant —preferably a
director— with landed properties in Abuja.
“He will be released when he meets his bail
conditions,” a source within the EFCC informed PREMIUM TIMES Friday.
Also in EFCC custody is Bala Mohammed, a former
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who was taken into custody shortly
after Mr. Abati’s arrest on Monday.
But Mr. Mohammed’s case is said to be more
complicated and he may not be released anytime soon.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that
the EFCC has procured a remand order from a court to hold Mr. Mohammed for a
while.
He faces allegations of
land racketeering which EFCC said came in several petitions from citizens who
dealt with Mr. Mohammed while he was a minister.
Mr. Mohammed was said to
have sold government land to private individuals and received pay for the
transaction in cash. PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify those
allegations claims
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