Court Revokes Bail of Abuja Whistle-Blower

A Wuse Zone 6 Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on Friday revoked the bail it granted an Abuja-based whistleblower, Jeff Ove.

Ove,isstandingtrialforallegedlygiving falseinformationonwhistleblowingpolicy to the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Properties.

Chief Magistrate Ahmed Ndajiwo, who revoked the bail in a short ruling on an oral application by the prosecution also ordered that Ove be arrested and be brought to court to face his trial.

The decision to issue the bench warrant against the Bayelsa Stateborn whistleblower was predicated on his refusal to appear in court for trial in the four count criminal charge brought against him by the presidential panel.

Ove was alleged to have given false information against a businessman, Engineer Emmanuel Mbaka to the effect that the businessman stashed huge amount of money in foreign and local currencies in his house at Gwarinpa Estate in Abuja.

At the resumed trial yesterday, Ove, who is the first defendant in the criminal charge was absent in court without cogent reason.

His counsel, Abubakar Suleiman in a bid to pacify Magistrate Ndajiwo informed the court that his client was involved in an accident and could not make his trip to Abuja for the trial.

The counsel further told the court that the surety to the first defendant was away to Port Harcourt on official assignment and pleaded with the magistrate to pardon the absence of his client.

However, counsel to the presidential committee, Dr. Celsius Ukpong, opposed the excuse adduced for the absence of the whistleblower in court for trial as demanded by law.

Ukpong argued that the defendant inflicted malady on himself by not coming to court in spite of the gravity of the charge against him.

He therefore applied to the court to revoke the bail granted the accused person by the court to enable him stay in Abuja to face his trial as required by law.