Court grants Yakubu permission to travel abroad for medical check-up

Ahmed Mohammed, justice of the federal high court in Abuja, on Wednesday granted Andrew Yakubu, former group managing director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), permission to travel to the UK for medical check-up.

Ruling on the application filed by Ahmed Raji, counsel to Yakubu, the judge said the request was granted because the prosecution did not challenge it.

“Since the prosecuting counsel is not opposing the defendant’s motion dated 23rd May, 2017 seeking leave to be granted to the defendant to travel to the United Kingdom to continue treatment, the application is granted,” he held.

Mohammed also ruled that the international passport of the defendant be released to his counsel in the interim, and that “the leave granted is for a period of three weeks commencing from May 25, 2017.”

“The defendant shall return to the country on or before the expiration of the three weeks granted; one of the sureties of the defendant shall file a separate affidavit to be liable in this case should the defendant refuse to return and take his trial; the same affidavit shall be filed before the international passport is released to the defendant’s solicitor; upon his return from his medical trip, the learned counsel to the defendant shall immediately return the international passport to the chief registrar of the court,” he held.

He then adjourned the case till July 6 for continuation of trial.

On February 3, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) raided a building belonging to Yakubu and recovered the sums of $9.8m and £74,000 stashed in a fire-proof safe.

The EFCC subsequently got an order for the forfeiture of the monies.

It then filed a six-count charge of money laundering, non-disclosure of assets and fraud against the former NNPC GMD at the court.