Incarcerated whistle-blower, Mahdi Shehu has been granted bail to the tune 10million by the Federal High Court in Kano on Thursday.
Shehu is also expected to produce one surety with landed property in Kano, the ruling adds.
The lead prosecution counsel, Barrister Simon Lough disclosed this to journalists shortly after the court sitting on Thursday.
In his ruling, Justice Lewis Allagoa after hearing the complaints of both accused and the prosecutor (Nigerian Police) said the matter was before a competent court of jurisdiction, hence the decision of the Chief Judge to transfer the matter to any court has not violated any fundamental principles.
The judge thus, stroked out the plea of the Nigerian Police, questioning the legality of the Chief Judge to transfer a case without a fair hearing even as he adjoined the case to May 19, 2021 for a hearing.
In his own vein, the prosecutor, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Simon Louga, argued that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court has infringed on the fundamental principle by transferring the case without fair hearing from both parties hence prayed the court to strike out the bail conditions made by the defendant, Mahdi Shehu.
Reacting to the ruling, ACP Simon said they will study it and come out with workable solutions.
Shehu had used various means of communication including social media, to accuse the Katsina State Government, under the leadership of Aminu Bello Masari, of squandering over N50bn in the last five years from the state’s security vote.
Heritage Times had reported that the case between the whistle-blower and the Inspector General of Police was transferred to Kano from Katsina, following a petition by the accused against the presiding judge, Justice Hadiza Shagari.
Shehu was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Katsina, where he was served with a six-count charge bordering on cybercrime.