Court Grants Captain Labinjo N10m Bail After 14 Months In Detention

December 3, 2019

Reprieve came the way of embattled Naval Captain, Dada Labinjo as the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday granted him bail after spending 14 Months in a naval underground detention.

Justice Muslim Hassan granted the retired Naval Captain bail in the sum of N10 million with one surety in like sum.

According to the judge, Labinjo is to produce one surety who must own a landed property in Lagos and must show evidence of three-year tax payment.

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

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

Justice Hassan admitted the defendant to bail after he was arraigned alongside others on two-count charge of dealing in petroleum products without lawful authority.

Labinjo’s wife, Bola Labinjo, a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, vessel and 14 others were also facing the same charge.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) 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 anti-graft agency maintained that the defendants violated 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.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

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

Justice Hassan has adjourned the case to February 15, 2020.