Palpable fear grips UTME offenders over stringent bail conditions
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
Palpable fears have gripped three suspected 2023 UTME registration infractors facing trial at the Federal High Court, Akure, over concerns meeting the stringent bail conditions handed down to them by the court.
When the matter came up for hearing in the case between the Attorney-General of the Federation vs Okereke Peter and two others, the Prosecuting Counsel, M. I. Osimen, Esq., called one witness in the person of Oyegun Gabriel, the Technical Officer, who detected the suspicious registration transactions.
He gave evidence and tendered his evidence to wit: the JAMB registration printout in respect of the 2nd defendant, and Certificate of Compliance with Section 84 of the Evidence Act.
Gabriel told the court how the defendants were arrested at the Aina Awwal CBT Centre, Akure, for impersonation. Furthermore, he also informed the court that the defendants gave a written statement at the office of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Akure Command.
Additionally, he said the documents tendered were in line with the Evidence Act, which the Prosecuting Counsel tendered accordingly. The documents were admitted and marked exhibits A,B, and C respectively.
The Principal Witness One was only cross-examined half-way before the court adjourned the matter to 21st February, 2024, for continuation of the hearing.
The court subsequently took the bail application of the three defendants to which the Prosecuting Counsel did not object. The court, therefore, granted same.
Justice T.O Adegoke, however, ruled that for each of the defendants, one surety each in the sum of one million bond each must be provided and the sureties must have a company registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and do his or her business within the Akure metropolis.
The sureties, the Judge also ruled, must show evidence of tax clearance for the past three years and must deposit the original copies of their company registration certificates with the Registrar of the Court while the sum of one million by each of the defendants must be deposited in the account to be provided by the Court Registrar.
The sureties and each of the defendants must also write an undertaking that the defendants would attend their trial till the conclusion of the case and finally, the Prosecuting Counsel and the Court Registrar must know the residence of the sureties.
