Prisons authorities to query officials over release of Ngilari, ex-gov jailed for corruption

Peter Tenkwa, comptroller of the Adamawa state command of the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS), says all the officers involved in the release of Bala Ngilari, an ex-governor of Adamawa state, will be queried.

On March 6, Ngilari was sentenced to five years in prison, without an option of fine, for violating the public procurement act in the award of contract for the procurement of 25 vehicles.

But on Monday, he  was granted bail on health grounds.

The ex-governor was granted bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties, who were asked to deposit certificates of occupancy of landed property owned in Yola, the state capital.

Speaking with journalists on Monday, Tenkwa said the prison had health facilities that could take care of Ngilari.

He said he was yet to get a release order granting the ex-governor bail.

“Nigeria Prison Service, as I stated, knows nothing about this letter; whoever wrote that letter is on his own. I have been directed to query the officers involved,” Tenkwa said.

“We have enough medical facilities to handle high-profile inmates like Ngilari; we even received some supply of drugs on Friday.”

Bala Sanga, attorney-general and commissioner for justice in Adamawa state, said bail granted to the ex-governor “is scandalous”.

He said the court could not use a document that was not before it to grant Ngilari bail.

“The chamber of attorney-general is very worried and disturbed about this granting of bail pending appeal to our former governor; this is a legal remedy that is very rarely granted,” he said.

“Technically what this means is that the letter was not even before the court. So the court, in my opinion, has no business relying on a document that was not before it to arrive at a decision.

“This is very scandalous, if indeed the prison says it did not issue the letter. We intend not to file a complaint against whoever wrote that letter but to refer the matter to the police for prosecution because the court relied significantly on that letter to grant the bail.”