Court grants Chioma Okoli ₦5 million bail in Erisco Foods case

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja has granted Chioma Okoli a ₦5 million bail with two sureties in the same amount.

The allegations against Okoli stemmed from remarks she made online about tomato paste made by Erisco Foods Limited.

Justice Lifu admitted her to bond but stipulated that one of the sureties had to be a blood relative or the defendant’s spouse who lived within the court’s jurisdiction and had a varied source of income.

In addition to directing the defendant to present her international passport, if any, the judge also ordered the sureties to deposit passport photos for each of them.

Judge Lifu accepted the lawyer’s contentions that Okoli was charged with a crime that qualified for bail.

Justice Lifu additionally declared that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty under Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

The court added that refusing her bail would be a pre-trial ruling and an act of judicial misbehaviour since it would be an improper use of discretion.

He also grounded the decision on Okoli’s state of health.

He postponed the hearing to June 13.