ABUJA—A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting at Maitama, on Wednesday, granted N100 million bail to a factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Kabiru Turaki, SAN.
Turaki—who served as Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs from 2013 to 2015—was accused of providing false information to the police in a petition he lodged in 2022.
He was arraigned before trial Justice Peter Kekemeke on a one-count charge marked CR/647/2026, which the Inspector General of Police (IGP) entered against him.
The charge, filed on November 15, 2025, reads: “That you, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, m, No. 37 T.Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro, Abuja, on or about October 5, 2022, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, gave false information to the Inspector-General of Police via a petition dated October 5, 2022.”
The police maintained that he committed an offence punishable under Section 140 of the Penal Code Law.
Justice Kekemeke had on March 26 issued a for the defendant’s arrest, following his repeated failure to appear before the court for arraignment.
The arrest order was subsequently vacated on April 1 after the embattled factional PDP chairman made himself available to the court and pledged his readiness for trial.
Meanwhile, Turaki pleaded not guilty to the charge read to him in open court on Wednesday.
The defence counsel, Mr. Abulaziz Ibrahim, SAN, prayed the court to admit the defendant to bail pending trial.
Placing reliance on Sections 36(5) and (6)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as Section 163 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, Ibrahim, SAN, argued that the charge contained a bailable offence.
Emphasising that the defendant enjoyed the statutory presumption of innocence, the defence counsel drew the court’s attention to the fact that Turaki is a legal practitioner of over 40 years’ standing who has been a SAN for 20 years.
“My Lord, this defendant is also the authentic leader of the PDP. He is an elder statesman, a former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a respected community leader with various chieftaincy titles,” Ibrahim, SAN, added, as he prayed the court to grant bail on self-recognisance.
While opposing the bail application, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Usman Rabiu, alleged that the defendant had not only evaded service of the charge but also refused to attend his trial until the court declared him wanted.
The prosecution who admitted that the grant of bail is at the court’s discretion, argued that such discretion must be exercised judicially and judiciously.
He therefore prayed the court to remand the defendant in custody.
After listening to both counsel, Justice Kekemeke said he was minded to release the defendant on bail.
According to the trial judge, bail is a fundamental rights issue that the court has the requisite powers to grant.
More so, he noted that Turaki had voluntarily submitted himself to the court even before the arrest warrant could be executed.
The court held that the prosecution failed to place sufficient material before it to establish that the defendant posed a flight risk.
Consequently, it granted him bail in the sum of N100 million with one surety in like sum. The court held that the surety must be an SAN of not less than 20 years’ practice or a lawyer of over 40 years’ practice.
It subsequently adjourned the case until June 11 for hearing.
