Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has remanded Grace Taiga, a former Director of Legal at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, in prison custody pending the perfection of her bail condition.

The defendant, who is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly receiving bribes to facilitate the award of contract in the infamous Process & Industrial Development Limited scam, failed to provide a surety after she was granted bail by the court in October 2021.

EFCC had on October 7, 2021 re-arraigned Mrs Taiga before Justice Egwuatu on nine counts bordering on money laundering offences but she pleaded not guilty to all counts.

The judge also ruled that one of the sureties must have property within the FCT and deposit the titled documents with the deputy chief registrar of the court.

Justice Egwuatu, who held that the two sureties must have evidence of tax clearance, ordered that the defendant must deposit her international passport with the deputy chief registrar of the court and must get court permission before travelling outside Nigeria.

The judge then adjourned the matter until today for commencement of trial.

But when the matter was called on Monday, counsel to the defendant, Ola Olanipekun, said they were still in the process of perfecting the bail conditions.

The prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, prayed that the defendant be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre pending the bail perfection.

The judge granted the prayer.

Earlier, Taiga was arraigned on seven-count charge as against the nine counts preferred against her.

After taking her plea, she pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The judge adjourned the matter until February 3 for trial commencement.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.