Court okays Adeleke’s travel to US on health ground

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday gave permission to Senator Ademola Adeleke, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last election, to travel to the United States on health grounds.

Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the permission while ruling, on Friday on a motion ex-parte filed by the Senator.

According to the judge, the police must not restrain Adeleke, who is being tried, with some others, on charges relating to examination fraud, from engaging in the foreign trip.

The judge said, in an enrolled order sighted on Monday, that: “An order of this honourable court is hereby made directing the Deputy Chief Registrar of honourable court to release to the 1st defendant/applicant his international passport to enable him travel to the United States of America on 7th day of May of 2019 and return on the 9th day of June 2019 to enable him undergo urgent medical check-up.

“The 1st defendant (Adeleke) is ordered to respond to the invitation of the respondent on 6th May 2019. Thereafter, the 1st defendant is granted leave of court to travel out of Nigeria to the United States of America between 7th May 2019 and 9th June 2019 for medical attention.

“The 1st defendant/applicant is hereby ordered to return the international passport to the Registry of this court within three days of his return on 9th June 2019.

“The respondent shall not prevent the 1st defendant from travelling for medical attention upon attending the invitation of the respondent on 6th May 2019.”

Justice Ekwo adjourned till June 10 for the continuation of trial in the criminal proceedings, The Nation reports.