A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State on Monday granted permission to a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, who is standing trial for alleged N2.2 billion money laundering, to travel abroad for further medical treatment.
Fayose is standing trial for 11 counts bordering on money laundering and conspiracy to the tune of N2.2 billion as filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on Monday granted Fayose permission following an application by Fayose’s counsel, Ola Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Fayose had through his counsel, sought an order of the court granting him leave “to travel outside Nigeria for further medical examination, diagnosis, treatment and therapeutics, as exigency of his health demands, on dates which shall not coincide with or obstruct any date of the trial in this case.”
He also sought an order that his passport, which was deposited with the Registrar of the Court as part of the conditions for granting him, should be released to him and returned to the court upon return from the trip.
The application was not opposed by the EFCC.
In granting the application as contained in the Motion on Notice dated February 5, 2021, and moved today by Sunday Olowolafe, the court insisted that Fayose must be in court on March 18 and 19, 2021, the next adjournment dates.
Fayose is standing trial for alleged N2.2 billion fraud.
After stunning Nigerians by surrendering himself to the EFCC on October 16, 2018, Fayose was first arraigned on October 22, 2018, on 11 counts before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.
He was arraigned alongside his company, Spotless Investment Limited.
The former governor was re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on July 2, 2019, after the case was withdrawn from Olatoregun, following an EFCC petition.
He also pleaded not guilty before Aneke and was allowed to continue on the bail earlier granted, while the case was adjourned for trial.
