Court refuses bail for jailed Ex-Gov Nyame

Jolly Nyame

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Gudu, Abuja, on Wednesday dismissed a bail application filed by the convicted former Governor of Taraba State, Jolly Nyame, who is currently serving 14-year jail term in Kuje prison, Abuja.

Justice Adebukola Banjoko who, on May 30, 2018, convicted Nyame on corruption charges involving the diversion of over N1bn belonging to Taraba State, ruled on Wednesday that the ex-governor’s application for bail was “unmeritorious.”

The judge ruled that bail was never granted to a convict as a matter of right but only under “exceptional circumstances,” which could include ill health.

Although Nyame’s application was anchored on the grounds of ill health, Justice Banjoko ruled that there were no credible materials provided by the convict to warrant granting him bail.

He had primarily anchored his application on the contention that, at the prison in Kuje, Abuja, where he is currently serving his term, he was denied access to traditional herbal medicine with which he was treating hypertension and diabetes before his conviction on May 30, 2018.