Walter Ubaka Okeke, the fleeing suspect in a case of alleged theft of oil drilling equipment estimated at over N800 million has been granted bail in the sum of N100 million.  

The embattled Okeke, who has been under detention for over a month at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in Port Harcourt, secured what appeared to be an impossible bail condition on Monday, December 19, 2022.

Ruling a bail application brought before a Rivers State Magistrate Court by defendant’s counsel, H. A. Bello, the Chief Magistrate, A.O. Amadi Nna, granted Okeke bail of N100m with two sureties of same amount, who must be a senior civil servant of Grade 14 or above in the Rivers State Civil Service and own landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

Bello had pleaded with the court that there was the possibility of an amicable resolution of the issue, noting that the charge was a sensitive one, praying the court to grant his client bail while assuring that he would honour the bail conditions.

The court further ordered that the property documents must be verified by the prosecution while the sureties must submit the original copy of his or her appointment letter to the court alongside two of their passport photographs and an affidavit of means which must be present and available.

Walter Ubaka Okeke hails from Enugwu Village of Nanka in Orumba North Local Council Area of Anambra State, but lives in his own compound at the Trans Amadi Industrial area of Port Harcourt City where the complainant, Sir Ifeanyi Amaonye, allegedly stocked the oil drilling pipes and other heavy industrial equipment.

Kristina Reports learnt that Chief Magistrate Amadi-Nnah gave the very stringent bail conditions in response to vehement objections raised by the prosecution led by Godday Amadi, who highlighted the unwillingness of the defendant to appear before the court to face trial until a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

The Police prosecuting counsel urged the court to consider the implications associated with granting bail to someone who had never availed himself until he was forced to do so, noting that the defendant was pleading because that it seemed to be the only option he has now.

Reacting to the ruling of the court, counsel to the defendant, Oluchukwu Ulasi expressed gratitude for the bail granted and said they would go about perfecting it, observing, however, that the bench warrant against his client had been vacated since Tuesday, December 13, 2022.

The case had erupted when the businessman, alongside the Rivers State Command of the Nigeria Police Force dragged Okeke to the Chief Magistrate’s Court for alleged theft.

The charge sheet filed on May 27, 2022, as sighted by Kristina Reports, stated that; “You, Walter Ubaka Okeke, and others now at large, did conspire to commit felony to wit: stealing; and therefore, committed an offence punishable under Section 516A of the Criminal Code Law Cap 37 Vol 2, Laws of Rivers State”.

The second count mentioned the value of the alleged stolen property to be over N800m, items said to be property of a Port Harcourt business man, Ifeanyi Amaonye, kept in the open at the accused’s compound in Trans Amadi.