My illness is life-threatening- Atiku’s son inlaw

   Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s son-in-law, Abdullahi Babalele, on Tuesday sought the permission of a Federal High Court in Lagos for a foreign medical trip on the ground of his “life-threatening” illness.

   Babalele tendered medical reports from three hospitals – two in Abuja and one in London – showing his health status. The defendant is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly laundering $140,000 in the build-up to the last general elections.

   The EFCC charged him with the offence on August 14, 2019, before Justice Nicholas Oweibo. But the case was re-assigned and transferred to Justice C. J. Aneke. Babalele was re-arraigned before the new judge on Tuesday. He pleaded not guilty.

  Justice Aneke granted his prayer to continue on the N20 million bail with one surety earlier granted him in August by Justice Oweibo. But Babalele, through his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), applied for permission to travel abroad for treatment of his ailment.

   The lawyer told the judge that the application contained medical reports from Samiya Hospital and the National Hospital, both in Abuja, and another one from Michael Warren, at a London hospital. He also told the court that all the annexures to his application “point to great danger” if the defendant did not attend his medicals. Ozekhome prayed the court to grant the application and release his client’s passport to enable him travel. But EFCC counsel Mr Rotimi Oyedepo opposed him.

THE NATION