Permit Me To Travel Abroad For Medical Treatment – Ex-Governor Okorocha Begs Court Amidst Money Laundering Case

 

Former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha has appealed to a Federal High Court, Abuja, to permit him to travel to the United States for medical treatment.

This was made known by his lawyer, Daniel Alumun, on Thursday during the trial before Justice Inyang Ekwo.

The lawyer informed the court shortly after his case was mentioned, that he was unable to serve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the complainant, respondent motion.

Justice Ekwo consequently adjourned the matter until July 6 for a hearing of the motion due to the absence of the EFCC counsel who was not in court on Thursday.

In a motion on notice marked: FHC /ABJ/CS/28/2022 dated June 22 and filed June 27 by Okey Amaechi, SAN, Okorocha sought an order granting him leave to travel outside Nigeria for medical treatment; and return before November 7, being the next adjourned date for his trial.

He also sought a consequential order for the release of his Nigerian international travel passport booklet, which was deposited with the court registrar in partial fulfilment of the conditions for the bail granted to him and “a consequential order that reliefs (1} and (2) above be communicated by the registrar of this honourable court to the Nigerian Immigration Service, to facilitate the passage of the applicant.

“An order directing the 1st defendant/applicant to return his international passport to the registrar of the honourable court upon his return to Nigeria.”

The lawmaker, who gave three grounds why the reliefs sought should be granted, said he was admitted to bail pending trial in charge number, FHC/ABJ/28/2022.

He said he has duly complied with all the terms of the bail including depositing his travel documents with the registrar of the court.

He said before the arraignment, he had “undergone medical surgery at the Ambulatory Surgery Centre, Texas, in the US for distal femur fracture, which he sustained in an accident.”

He added that he had been on regular/scheduled care and treatment at the same Ambulatory Surgery Center, where he had been scheduled for further medical tests, observation and treatment on July 19, 2022, or immediately thereafter.

Breaking: Update: Court Rejects Abba Kyari’s Request For Bail To Travel For Medical Treatment

Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to order the Federal Government to release the detained Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, from the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The judge rather ordered that Kyari put the Federal Government on notice of the existence of the suit he instituted against it.

The suspended DCP had taken the Federal Government before the court, challenging his continued detention by the agency. In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/182/22, Kyari sought an order of the court to immediately release him and in the alternative, the suspended DCP, who is being held by the NDLEA over his alleged involvement in hard drug trafficking, asked the court to admit him to bail in liberal conditions.

In an ex-parte application by his counsel, Cynthia Ikena, Kyari claimed to be suffering from diabetes and hypertension and needs urgent medical attention.

In a brief ruling, Justice Ekwo declined to order his immediate release but ordered him to put the respondent( FG), on notice. The judge ordered him to go and serve all processes he filed on the Federal Government.

Justice Ekwo held that all averments and allegations made against the Federal Government are weighty that the court must give the government the opportunity to hear from it before taking any step. He, thereafter, fixed February 24 for the parties to appear before him.