The former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, has regained freedom 11 months after he was convicted and remanded in Kuje Correctional Center.
He regained his freedom following a ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which admitted him to bail in the sum of N250million.
Vanguard reports that Justice Nkeonye Maha’s granted an application Metuh’s team of lawyers led by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, brought to give effect to the November 16 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which quashed the conviction and seven-year jail term that was earlier handed to their client by the trial court.Aside from the N250m bail bond, the court ordered Metuh to produce responsible citizens that would stand as his surety.
It held that the surety must be an owner of landed property within the jurisdiction of the court that is worth the bail sum.
Justice Maha said she was ready to sign a release warrant addressed to the Superintendent of Nigeria Correctional Service, Kuje, once the bail conditions were perfected.
“That registry of this court shall verify the property/properties with the address of the surety and depose to an affidavit of same.
“That original title deeds of the property/properties shall be deposited in the registry of this honourable court.
“That surety shall depose to an affidavit of means and submit recent passport of himself/herself for record purpose,” the court held.
Besides, the judge in her wisdom granted Metuh’s request for permission to travel outside the jurisdiction of the court for 45 days.
The court ordered the conditional release of Metuh’s international passport from the court registry, as soon as the bail conditions were fulfilled. According to Justify Maha:
“That applicant must immediately hand over his international passport to the Assistant Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court within three days from the date of his return.
“That lead senior counsel to the applicant will file an undertaking to ensure the return of the applicant’s international passport, in line with the above orders of the court”.
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