Court Grant Ex-NISA President, Labinjo N10m Bail After One Year in Detention

Abiola Seun & Chinazor Megbolu |

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday granted N10m bail to a naval captain, Dada Labinjo, said to have been in a naval underground detention for over a year.

Justice Muslim Hassan ordered Labinjo to produce one surety who must own a landed property in Lagos and must show evidence of three-year tax payment.

However, the judge ordered that Labinjo be released to his lawyer, Jerry Omoregie, pending when he would meet the bail conditions within 15 days.

The lawyer was directed to submit his Certificate of Call to Bar to the court registrar as a guarantee that he would produce his client for trial.

The bail followed Labinjo’s arraignment alongside others on two counts of dealing in petroleum products without lawful authority.

Among the other defendants was Labinjo’s wife, Bola Labinjo, a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission told the court that the defendants conspired among themselves between August and October 2018 to deal in Automobile Gas Oil (diesel), without the appropriate licence.

According to the EFCC, the defendants committed the offence “within the Nigerian maritime domain and the Gulf of Guinea.”

The prosecution said they acted contrary to sections 3(6) and 1((19)(a)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap. M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Revised Edition) 2004, and were liable to be punished under Section 1(17) of the same Act.

But they pleaded not guilty.

The other defendants were admitted to bail in terms similar to Labinjo’s.

However, in a telephone chat with newsmen, Femi Falana (SAN) confirmed to our correspondent that Capt. Dada Labinjo has been granted bail following the transfer of his case file to EFCC yesterday.

He informed that the Federal High court granted the embattled NISA president bail this morning.

“He has been granted bail this morning by the Federal high court, but I wouldn’t know the state of his health.

“All those that were detained illegally have been taken to court all the 67, that we cried out about have been taken to court and I think they have been granted bail by the Federal high Court.

“That’s how it should be done in any civilized society, you don’t just keep people detained for no just reason,” he emphasized.

The lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) while confirming the bail said a lot of pressure was on the Navy before Labinjo was released to the EFCC.