Court grants wife bail, remands husband in prison for Human Trafficking

 

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, granted bail to one Veronica Ekeh, who is standing trial for alleged human trafficking.

She, however, remanded the woman’s husband in a correctional centre in Abuja.

The judge, in her ruling on the bail application filed by the couple’s lawyer, Mr. J. Obanwudeh, said the woman was granted bail because she was pregnant.

Ekeh was granted bail in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum.

Nyako said: “The gravity of this offence is serious, but I have noted the medical condition of the wife, and so I have to grant her bail.

“Bail is set in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum and one of the sureties must be resident in Abuja and must have a verifiable means of employment.”

She also ordered that the defendant must not leave Abuja without permission from the court.

She adjourned the matter till June 26 for further hearing.

Earlier, Obanwudeh had urged the court to admit his clients to bail on liberal terms.

The lawyer argued that although bail was to be given at the discretion of the court, it was a constitutional right to which his clients were entitled to.

This, he added, was to enable them to prepare adequately for their trial.

However, the prosecution counsel, H.M. Esa, prayed the court to deny the defendants bail because the alleged offence was very serious.

“They are standing trial for alleged trafficking and exportation of a young girl to Burkina Faso for prostitution,” he stated.