Alleged $40m contract scam: Jonathan’s cousin, wife still at Kuje prison

Robert Azibaola and his wife

One week after they were granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja, cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Robert Azibaola, and his wife, Stella, are yet to regain their freedom from Kuje Prison. Investigation by Vanguard revealed that the couple, who  are answering to a seven-count
criminal charge bordering on alleged $40 million contract scam, has been unable to fulfil the bail conditions handed to them by the trial court.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had in a ruling on June 8, granted the defendants who are facing trial alongside their firm, Oneplus Holding Limited, bail to the tune of N1 billion. They were directed to deposit N500 million each, as well as produce two sureties in the like sum. The court maintained that the sureties must be owners of landed property in either Maitama or Asokoro districts of Abuja, and must produce evidence that they have paid income tax for the past three years. It stressed that the registry of the court must verify and confirm that all the conditions were perfected, before the defendants could be released from Kuje prison. He was arrested on March 21 this year by the EFCC. “What the EFCC has not told the world is that the government is actually owing Robert and his company the sum of $4 million for the job he did which fetched the country over N1 billion in revenue. “We have already filed a plea with the court to soften with the stringent bail conditions so that our brother can return home since he was arrested on March 21 this year by the EFCC.