An FCT High Court on Thursday varied the bail conditions earlier given to a 35-year-old man, Bernard Omotola, who allegedly defiled a five-year-old girl.
The police charged Omotola on one count of defilement of a minor.
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Ruling in the application for the variation of the bail conditions, Justice Jude Okeke held that the conditions set by the court were in view of the gravity of the offence alleged to have been committed by the defendant.
According to the judge, if found guilty, Omotola would be sentenced to life imprisonment.
While noting that bail was not meant to set the defendant free, Okeke held that bail was to ensure that he was available at all times to face trial.
The judge held that the applicant failed to tell the court which of the conditions he found difficult to meet in the conditions earlier set for his bail by the court.
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Justice Okeke, nonetheless, varied the conditions for the defendant, ordering that Omotola must produce one surety instead of the two earlier set.
This notwithstanding, the judge ordered that other conditions remained as earlier set by the court.
He the adjourned until Jan. 20 for commence of trial.
Earlier, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him when he was arraigned prompting his counsel, Mr Maxwell Ogah, to moved his bail application.
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The court granted Omotola bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.
The sureties, according to the court, must be titled developed landed property owner within the jurisdiction of the court with valid addresses to be verified by the court’s deputy registrar.
Omotola was ordered to be detained in correctional centre pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions following which he should be released on bail.
Omotola, through his counsel, however, approached the court to vary the conditions, claiming that he was unable to meet the conditions set for his bail.
