The face off between Rivers state Government and the Federal Government over the Caverton Pilots has shifted to the courts.
A Chief Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt on Tuesday granted bail to Samuel Ugorji and Samuel Buhari, pilots with Caverton Helicopters who were arrested on accusation of contravening the Executive Order of the Rivers Governor to check the spread of Coronavirus in the State.
The bail was also extended to the 10 passengers flown into Rivers State by the two pilots.
Chief Magistrate D.D . Ihua-Maduenyi granted the two pilots bail after hearing the bail application by their counsel.
Conditions of the bail included the surety must be a management staff of Caverton Helicopters and must also own a landed property in Port Harcourt and ensure the two pilots attend trial.
The surety was also required to sign a bail bond of N1million each for the two pilots.
The Chief Magistrate thenadjourned the trial to May 19, 2020.
Lawyer to the Caverton Pilots, Nwokedi Ibe moved a bail application seeking the court to grant the two pilots bail.
His bail application dated April 8, 2020 but filed on April 9, 2020 was supported by a 28-paragraph affidavit.
Attorney-General of Rivers State, Professor Zaccheus Adangor who appeared for the State did not oppose the bail application.
He however urged the Court to set out bail conditions to ensure that the pilots attend their trial.
For the passengers, the Court ruled that they should present two sureties who must be management staff of Caverton Helicopters.
Their sureties are to sign bail bond of N500, 000 for each of the passengers. They are to undertake to bring the accused persons trial.
They were arrested at the Air Force Base Port Harcourt after the Rivers State Police Command received intelligence on their flight.