Justice Sailu Saidu of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital yesterday adjourned till tomorrow hearing in the bail application by the former Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC),Mrs. Gesilia Khan who was arraigned before her yesterday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Saidu said her application was not yet ripe for hearing. She was represented at the court by Mr S. Larry, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Mrs Khan is being tried for allegedly obtaining a gratification of over N180 million during the 2015 general elections.
Also arraigned with her was Peter Popnin, an ex-employee of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who allegedly assisted her in receiving the gratification.
Popnin received bail in the sum of N100 million, with two sureties. The court said one of the sureties must be resident in the state and own a landed property of like sum within Port Harcourt, while the second person must be a civil servant of not lower than grade 15, in either the state or federal civil service.
The two sureties must produce two passport photographs and swear an affidavit of means. The judge said the court registrar must verify the sureties before he would be allowed to proceed home. Popnin should submit his international passport to the court registrar.
Mrs. Khan was arrested by the anti-graft agency in 2015, and was detained in its Southsouth cell for several months. The agency said it was conducting thorough investigations on her involvements in the charge before proceeding to court.
The Ex-REC was on administrative. She was picked up from her Bayelsa home town by the anti-graft men at the weekend.
The prosecution led by Oyilakin Oyediran wanted her remanded in prison but the court said she should be taken back to the EFCC cell. Oyediran argued that having been arraigned before the court, she should be taken to the Port Harcourt Maximum Prisons.