The former minister of information and Zamfara Central Senatorial Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Ikira Aliyu Bilbis is still in prison custody even after he has been granted bail by the State Upper Shari’a Court 11 in Gusau, the state capital.
DAILY REVIEW gathered that he could not meet up with the bail conditions, which among others are a serving permanent secretary and someone who owns a house in Gusau, the State capital worth N20 million or above as sureties.
As part of his bail conditions, he must a produce a serving permanent secretary contrary to the fact that a permanent secretary (name withheld) who agreed to stand for his bail retired last week, and the judge asserted that he must produce a serving permanent secretary.
However, all efforts to get the state’s chairman of the Peoples Democratic, (PDP), Hon. Muktar Mohammed Lugga, for his comments, proved abortive as the PDP leaders have been in a series of crucial meetings since their members were arrested and detained by the police.
Recall that the minister and other PDP chieftains in the state were arrested and arraigned by the Zamfara State Police Command for alleged criminal conspiracy, public disturbances and other criminal offences during the PDP rally in the state last Sunday.
The ruling APC in Zamfara State claimed that PDP thugs destroyed its billboards, posters and other properties belonging to innocent citizens of the state.
The police command however arraigned the former minister before Magistrate Court 1 for alleged criminal conspiracy, public disturbances and other criminal offences but the case was transferred to the State Upper Shari’a Court 11 for determination.
The Upper Shari’a court judge, Mallam Jibril Ibrahim, had granted bail to the former minister on condition that he would bring a serving permanent secretary to stand as surety for his bail.
Another condition given was that someone who owns a certificated house worth at least N20 million in Gusau, the state capital should sign for the minister’s bail.
There is no sign that he has met these conditions, giving the excuse that the leadership of the party in the state have been holding meeting after meeting to find a way of bailing the PDP heavyweights in police custody.
