By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—AN Edo State High Court sitting in Benin, yesterday, granted bail to House of Representatives member, representing Etsako federal constituency of Edo State, Mr Philip Shuaibu.

Trial judge, Justice Esther Ikponmwen, had last week issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmaker after he failed to appear in court last week.

Philip Shuaibu

Shuaibu was charged before the court in 2013 by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, over alleged false tax declaration.

However, Shuaibu, who appeared in court yesterday with his lawyer, Mr Ken Mozia, explained that he was held up by traffic gridlock at Lokoja, Kogi State, for over four hours after he left Abuja 4a.m., in order to meet the court proceedings.

His counsel, Mozia, apologised to the court and appealed that the bench warrant issued last Thursday be vacated since his client’s failure to appear in court last Thursday was not deliberate. Justice Ikpomnwen, after listening to the counsel of the accused, vacated the bench warrant and granted the lawmaker N3 million bail with a surety resident in Edo State.

She, however, dropped the state Commissioner of Works, Mr. Osarodion Ogie, as surety to the accused, explaining that “I don’t like when lawyers practicing or not practicing stand as sureties for people. So, I will request the accused to get another surety to stand in for his bail.”