The incident that is playing out at the moment between an accused and the Nigerian State is one that reminds you of the stories you hear in Tales-by-Moonlight. Do people still disappear and appear at will in this 21st Century? Under what circumstances would such happen?
A Nigerian man - who's standing trial with his partner before a Lagos High Court for alleged stealing of over N90 million property - was remanded in prison custody in Nigeria but the gist now is that the same person was sighted in London.
The EFCC and the Lagos High Court are claiming ignorance of how he walked out of the prison not to talk of travelling to London. Who and what facilitated his exit from the Ikoyi prison? Continue to read the interesting story...
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has urged a Lagos High Court to enquire into how an accused it ordered remanded in Ikoyi prison landed in the United Kingdom. Justice E. A. Adebajo had, upon their arraignment this year, ordered that Sunday Akinyemi and Olu Osho, facing a 30- count charge, be remanded in prison.
But on Monday, prosecution lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that Akinyemi (the first defendant) had been released from prison. He said findings revealed that the accused got out of the prison following a fundamental rights application filed by his lawyer, Femi Falana.
Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos, released Akinyemi "unconditionally" to attend to his failing health in the United Kingdom. Mr. Oyedepo told the court that while the trial of the defendants was still pending before it (the Lagos High Court), the Federal High Court ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, Ikoyi (who were named as respondents in the fundamental rights enforcement application) to release Akinyemi.
Mr. Oyedepo urged the court to compel Mr. Falana to explain how his client left the prison custody without the consent of the court before which he was standing trial. But in his response, Mr. Falana argued that the order of the court remanding his client at Ikoyi prison was still intact, having not been set aside by the Federal High Court.
He however explained that what the Federal High Court did was to grant the defendant leave to travel abroad for medical treatment and to protect the accused’s right to life. He said the accused was suffering from cancer. He said he had met with the authorities of the EFCC over the issue and assured them that his client’s trial would continue once he overcomes his health problem.
The lawyer sought two weeks adjournment to enable him furnish the court with necessary documents of what actually transpired at the Federal High court. Akinyemi and Osho are being tried before the court over alleged conspiracy to steal, forgery and stealing of over N90 million property of Texas Connection Ferries Limited.
Mr. Falana had, in the application he filed before the Federal High Court, stated that Akinyemi had been treated in two Nigerian hospitals without any improvement. He said there were two medical reports by the Medical Board constituted by the Lagos High Court, indicating that it was urgent that Akinyemi be flown overseas for treatment.
The Lagos High Court adjourned the matter till October 25 to enable Mr. Falana produce relevant documents relating to the proceedings at the Federal High Court.
The question is: how come people always fall sick and most often require medical treatment abroad once they are standing trial in Nigeria for punishable offences? A big man would be going to parties and meetings here and there, but pick him for an offence and the story will change. Na wa for Naija o!
Addition report by naijan.
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