$9.6bn P&ID fraud: Court orders arrested surety’s release on bail

Chief George Kadiri, the surety for fleeing British national James Nolan, a key defendant in the ongoing $9.6 billion Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) fraud case, has been arrested and produced in court.

Kadiri, a retired civil servant and traditional chief in Gwagwalada, Abuja, was brought before Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, following a bench warrant issued due to his repeated failure to appear and explain why his N100 million bail bond should not be forfeited.

The court had previously revoked Nolan’s bail on September 28, 2022, after the British national failed to appear for trial. Justice Ahmed Mohammed, who initially handled the matter before his elevation to the Court of Appeal, ordered Nolan’s arrest by Nigerian security agencies and Interpol and summoned Kadiri to justify his bail surety.

Despite being granted time on November 4, 2022, to show cause through a motion filed by his lawyer, O.J. Aboge, Kadiri did not return to court until his arrest.

When the case resumed on Thursday, EFCC counsel Bala Sanga confirmed Kadiri’s arrest and requested the court to forfeit the N100 million bail bond. Aboge, representing Kadiri, pleaded for time to present arguments against the forfeiture, stating he intended to demonstrate legal grounds for relief.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Paul Erokoro, who volunteered to stand surety for Kadiri, assured the court that the traditional chief would not abscond. “This is my first time taking someone on bail,” Erokoro added.

With no objection from the EFCC to the bail request or adjournment plea, Justice Lifu released Kadiri on bail to Erokoro’s custody, pending the resolution of the bail bond forfeiture.

The judge adjourned the matter until November 5 for further hearing.

Nolan, a director with P&ID and the second defendant in the case (FHC/ABJ/CR/143/2020), is also facing trial in at least eight other related cases concerning the controversial gas processing contract. Additional charges were listed before the court on Thursday, including suit numbers FHC/ABJ/CR/144/2020 through FHC/ABJ/CR/148/2020.