The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has granted bail to Uyo Senatorial District lawmaker and the governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Bassey Albert Akpan.
Recall that an Uyo Federal High Court-led by Justice A.A. Okeke, had on December 1, 2022, sentenced the Senator to 42 years imprisonment for corruption.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Albert for receiving exotic cars worth N204m from a contractor of the Akwa Ibom State Government, Jide Omokare.
But Naija News reports that an Appeal Court has court granted Akpan bail on health grounds pending the determination of an appeal.
Reacting in a post on his Facebook page, Senator Albert gave thanks to God after the court granted him bail.
The governorship candidate of the wrote: “In every situation, God has something to say. It’s all about God. That same God.”
In 2019, Akpan was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a six-count charge of allegedly taking possession of six vehicles worth N204 million when he was finance commissioner in the state.
According to the anti-graft agency, he collected one of the vehicles from Jide Omokore, an associate of Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Minister of Petroleum.
Since the former petroleum minister, Alison-Madueke fled the country attempts by the EFCC to bring her to justice in Nigeria for alleged acts of corruption have failed.
But several of her allies have come under scrutiny with many facing fraud-related charges and prosecution in court.
