Encomium
On Thursday, March 3, 2016, Justice Anuruli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja, granted former Minister of Interior, Patrick Abba Moro, who was allegedly involved in the 2014 National Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment scam bail on self recognition after being remanded in Kuje Prison for few days. Many Nigerians were, however, displeased by the court decision, while some applauded it.
Some Nigerians ENCOMIUM Weekly spoke to also held divergent views on the embattled former minister’s situation.
‘I think this is long overdue’ – Abu David
Candidly, I think this is long overdue. Considering the scale of the scandal, I expected that by now Abba Moro and every one that was involved in it should be rotting away in jail. There shouldn’t be anything like a court process, let alone bail.
What is there to find out in court? Everybody knows what happened and the lives that were lost. This is one of the reasons I don’t like democracy and civilian government. How can somebody oversee such a shambolic exercise and casualty and still be given fair hearing and bail? It is pitiable.
My sincere hope is that he ends in jail for life, along with his perpetrators.
‘Why did it take this long before action was taken against him?’ – Akin Fowora
Why did it take this long before action was taken against him? It just goes to show that we had very bad people in government before now.
For me, regardless of whatever punishment the court metes out to him and the others, it can never soothe the effect of what he did, especially with the families of the victims and even survivors.
‘Nigerian laws were not made for the rich but the poor’ – Joel Asomuah
One thing I know is that Nigerian laws were not made for the rich but the poor. For the court to have a U-turn on Abba Moro’s case by granting him bail without and condition, one should know that the case had died a natural death.
I am not saying the man should rot in Kuje Prison. The law requires that he should be investigated properly before any further trial can be done. Not only him, but every other person involved in the scam. But the drama of granting him bail three days after he was sent to prison was just not too good.
It has made nonsense of the whole thing.
‘Abba Moro’s case was a surprise to me’ – Ezekiel Fatade
Abba Moro’s case was a surprise to me. Initially, when he was sent to Kuje Prison, I thought he would be allowed to remain there for months. But all of a sudden, the court granted him bail on self recognition. Where was the self recognition when he was asked to be remanded in Kuje Prison?
I don’t understand Nigeria’s style of doing things again. Before you know it, the case won’t have any conclusion.
‘He should not be granted bail’ – Chima Okafor
He should not be granted bail. He is guilty of his act and should go to jail. If he is granted bail then government or the court must have given him the opportunity to hide or probably leave the country and he will continue to waste the money he stole.
‘He should be sentenced to jail for the crime he committed’ – Mr. Opeyemi
He should be taken to court and tried and sentenced to jail for the crime he committed. It is only in Nigeria people will steal from the country’s purse and go free. He should be punished for his act.
‘He should be prosecuted accordingly’ – Tajudeen Aliu
I think he should be prosecuted accordingly and should make sure he returns the fee for form that was charged.
‘They should compensate the relatives of the people who passed on during the exercise’ – Monday Kwame
Everyone linked to that case must pay for what they did. I also heard that the government hasn’t compensated the relatives of the people who passed on during the exercise.
‘I don’t support the bail granted to the ex-minister’ – Kayode Odebunmi
I don’t support the bail granted to the ex-minister. He needs to feel the pain the parents and spouses of those that died felt. With this bail granted to him, they have systematically closed the case. It shouldn’t be. Innocent Nigerians should not continue to suffer in vain.
He should be sentenced to imprisonment. At least 20 years jail term is okay.
‘He should face the wrath of the law’ – Adeyemi Lanre
He shouldn’t have been granted bail in the first place. He should face the wrath of the law. He might escape from the country now and that will be the end of the case. The court should decide.
