The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has granted embattled member of the House of Representatives Dr Farah Dagogo N10m bail. The order to release the lawmaker, who had spent over 15 days in police custody, was following an ex parte application for bail filed by his lawyers. Dagogo, who represents Bonny-Degema Federal Constituency, is standing trial on two count of conspiracy to felony and cultism.
The lawmaker, who is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was arrested when he appeared for screening at the PDP’s zonal office in Port Harcourt, a day after Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, declared him wanted. Ruling on the bail application, the presiding judge, Justice E.A. Obile, asked the lawmaker to produce a surety, who must own developed landed property within Port Harcourt metropolis among other conditions.
Obile said Dagogo and the surety must deposit two copies of their recent passport photographs with the registry of the court adding that Dagogo must report to the registrar at the end of every month. It was gathered that the police through the Officer in Charge of Legal and Prosecutions wrote to the court to verify the court order. The Federal High Court in a letter dated May 12th and signed by the Deputy Chief Registrar, Joshua Aji, told the police that it issued the order. The letter stated: “I write to confirm to your good office that the order under reference, which was granted by this honourable Court is authentic. Also there is no pending appeal or order for stay of execution or motion for stay of execution of the said order”.
The media Aide to Dagogo, Ibrahim Lawal, said the police were reluctant to obey the court order. Lawal said: “To show the reluctance of the Police to release Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo on bail, it took them about six hours after the Court had issued its order for them (police) to write officially for verification, all with the intent to continue keeping the Federal Lawmaker in its detention.
“To the credit of the court, however, the verification request from the police was promptly responded to, yet the police is still holding onto Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo. Therefore, we wish to bring it to the notice of the general public, the court and the Inspector-General in particular, that CP Friday Eboka, the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State is an accomplice to all acts hatched to harm Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo. While we demand immediate investigation into his activities, it is instructive to note that the Police Commissioner has turned himself to law and does not obey court order”.
