Olisa Metuh Released on Bail: Nigeria Arms Scandal

 The spokesman of Nigeria’s opposition party (PDP) has been released on bail amid accusations of his being involved in a $2 billion arms corruption scandal,.  Mr Metuh walked out of Kuje Prisons on Thursday afternoon after meeting the bail conditions given to him by the court.Olisa Metuh is one of a series of high-profile figures in Nigeria who have been arrested on allegations of illicitly receiving money earmarked for fighting Boko Haram. The scandal centers on Sambo Dasuki, Nigeria’s former national security advisor, who is accused of $68 million worth of fraud and money laundering. Metuh is accused of diverting 400 million naira ($2 million) of arms money between November 2014 and March 2015 to use for campaigning purposes for the PDP. Both Dasuki, who is still in detention, and Metuh deny the charges.A Federal High Court had on Wednesday, varied the bail conditions given to Mr Olisa Metuh.
Justice Okon Abang, signed his release warrant, upon being satisfied with the verification of the details of the two sureties provided by the accused and the title documents of the property owned by the sureties.
The verification exercise was done by the Chief Registrar of the court with the involvement of the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, whom the judge directed must verify the residential addresses of the two sureties.

Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, changed his earlier order that the sureties must be property owners in the Maitama area of Abuja only to an order that the two sureties must be owners of properties in any area of the Federal Capital Territory.
He, however, retained the sum of bail which he put at 400 million Naira.
Justice Abang declined the request of the prosecution, who asked the court to expunge him as part of the verification exercise of the bail conditions on the ground that it is not in his place to make orders for the court.