A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday revoked the N5 million bail of a former NIMASA employee, Alu Dismas, and remanded him in prison due to his lateness to court.
Dismas is the second accused in the ongoing trial of a former Acting Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administrative and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Calistus Obi, charged with N136 million fraud.
He is also a former personal assistant to the ex-DG of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had slammed eight counts on Dismas and Obi, who was a former Executive Director, and later, a former acting DG of the agency.
They had pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted to bail in the sum of N5 million each, with sureties in like sum.
The EFCC had closed the case for the prosecution on January 31, 2017, while the defence filed a no-case submission.
The court, however, dismissed the no-case submission on February 21, 2017, and ordered the defence to open its case.
When the case was called on Monday at 9.00 am, the first accused, Obi, was present, while Dismas had yet to arrive in court.
The case was stood down until 10.35 am when the second accused eventually entered the courtroom.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, expressed displeasure with Dismas’ lateness and consequently revoked his bail.
She observed that it was not the first time the accused would be absent for his trial, saying the court could not wait for an accused.
“I hereby revoke his bail; he should be taken back into prison custody,” she ruled.
Following the decision of the court, the second accused became emotional in the dock.
