A Kano State High Court presided over by Justice Jamilu Shehu Suleiman has varied the bail conditions imposed on Islamic cleric Ibrahim Abdullahi Isa, who is allegedly involved in the forgery of title documents for two landed properties on Ahmadu Bello Way in the Kano Metropolis.
The cleric was alleged to have forged land title documents originally bearing the names of Kassim Usman Baba and Audu Yaro Fagge.
He was earlier, on January 21, arraigned and subsequently imposed stringent bail conditions at the Senior Magistrate Court, presided over by Mustapha Sa’ad Datti.
The defendant was initially granted N20 million bail with two reliable sureties in the like sum.
The court further ordered that one of the sureties must be a traditional leader with an authorised letter from the Kano Emirate Council.
According to the magistrate, the other surety must be a prominent businessman who owns landed property valued at N50 million within the Kano Metropolis.
The presiding magistrate also directed the cleric to deposit his international passport with the court registry.
However, after two weeks without complying with the bail conditions, the cleric, on Wednesday, through his counsel, Barrister Abubakar Abdullahi Isa and Bashir Sabiu, approached the Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice Suleiman, seeking a review of the bail conditions imposed on the defendant.
In his submission, the counsel argued that the offence against the defendant is bailable and that the conditions imposed by the trial magistrate were unduly stringent, and prayed for relaxation.
After hearing submissions from both counsel, Justice Suleiman ordered that N5 million should replace the N20 million earlier imposed by the trial magistrate.
Justice Suleiman further directed that two reliable sureties be provided, one being his counsel, Barrister Abubakar Abdullahi Isa, and the other any of his siblings who will depose to an affidavit of means.
