Olakunle Oluomo, Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, has been given permission by a Federal High Court in Lagos to receive medical treatment abroad.
Following a Motion Exparte application dated and filed on July 26, 2023, asking the court’s permission to hear the request for leave to travel overseas for a medical examination during the annual holiday, Justice Nicholas Oweibo granted Oluomo and two other people the order.
In front of Justice Oweibo, the vacation judge, his attorney made the request.
The application to travel abroad has been served on the prosecution initiated in accordance with Sections 34 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution, the attorney declared.
“The motion is supported by five reasons and a 21-paragraph affidavit that the petitioner gave under oath, and three exhibits that are accompanied by written addresses are attached to the affidavit.
We humbly implore our Lord to answer our petitions.
Abbass Mohammed, the prosecuting attorney for the EFCC, did not object to the request.
Justice Oweibo made a brief decision in favor of the application.
The unopposed application is hereby granted as prayed, the speaker declared.
The case was then returned to Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, for a trial by Justice Oweibo.
The application to travel abroad has been served on the prosecution initiated in accordance with Sections 34 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution, the attorney declared.
Oluomo was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on September 6, 2022, with allegedly launder[ing] N2.475 billion.
Oluomo was charged on 11 charges of conspiracy, forgery, theft, and money laundering by the EFCC, together with Oladapo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo, and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (who is currently at large).
Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the prosecutor for the EFCC, had previously informed the court that the defendants allegedly committed the accused offenses between 2019 and 2022.
He said that Ogun State was the scene of the incident.
Oyedepo testified in court that they took N2.475 billion from the Ogun State House of Assembly’s treasury.
Oyedepo, the head of the EFFC’s legal monitoring unit in Lagos, filed the complaint at the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on September 1, 2022.
The Commission stated that it will present documents and exhibits, as well as call at least 10 witnesses to testify.
Adamu Usman Yusuf, Otitoju Moses Kolawale, Yazid Ahmad Bawa, Anyanwu Bright, Adekunbi Mojibola, Munkaila Huzaifa, and Idowu Oluseyi Olarenwaju are among the witnesses on the list.
Other representatives include those for Ashkash Nigeria Limited, Obasanjo Holdings Limited (managers of the NNPC Mega Station), and Gateway Bank Limited.
Before Justice Daniel Osiagor, the defendants were presented in court.
On the counts, they entered a not guilty plea.
However, Oluomo was given bail by Justice Osiagor in the amount of N300m with two sureties in the same amount, one of whom had to be at least a level 16 federal civil worker.
The bail for the second and third accused was N100 million each with two sureties, each of whom had to be at least level 14 in the civil service.
According to the judge’s order, all sureties must own land that is subject to the court’s jurisdiction, and titled documents must be deposited with the register of the court.
“The sureties must also have tax clearance certificates valid for three years and swear an affidavit of means.
“All defendants are also required to deposit their travel documents with the court registry.”
In addition, Justice Osiagor mandated that the defendants be held in EFCC custody for a maximum of one week, during which time they must complete all bail-related requirements or else they will be sent to the Abeokuta facility for Nigerian Prisons.
However, Oluomo asked the court to grant him permission to travel for a medical exam in his petition on notice, which was dated and submitted on July 26, 2023.