A Lagos Federal High Court Wednesday stopped a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief (Mrs.) Olanrewaju Otiti, currently facing trial with a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide, over alleged N650 million fraud from traveling to the United States of America (USA) for medical treatment, the Independent newspaper reports.
Otiti had in a motion filed through her lawyer, Akinola Oladeji, prayed the court’s permission to travel abroad to treat a liver-related-ailment. In the motion, she urged the court to vary her bail conditions as well as release her international passport to travel to the USA for a period not exceeding 20 days.
The lawyer contends that her client’s ailment cannot be treated in Nigeria.
Puncturing the motion, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed that the applicant has not placed sufficient facts before the court to warrant granting her request.
Insisting that her ailment can be conveniently treated in Nigeria, the EFCC also stated that the applicant might jump bail if she was permitted to travel abroad. EFCC said rather than yielding to Otiti’s request, the court should grant an accelerated hearing of the matter.
Justice Muslim Sule Hassan disclosed that an examination of the applicant’s ECOWAS passport does not support claims by her lawyer that she had earlier been treated of the ailment in the United States.
