COURT ORDERS EFCC TO RELEASE DEJI ABIOLA'S TRAVELLING DOCUMENT

A Lagos High Court in Ikeja yesterday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release the international passport of Deji Abiola, second son of the late business mogul and politician, Chief MKO, Abiola, to enable him to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The EFCC had filed a one-count charge of stealing against Deji, accusing him of having obtained the sum of N35.5 million from Mr. Jide Jose, in September 2008.

Deji was alleged to have obtained the money on the false pretence that he would help the latter to obtain some printing machine from Switzerland.

Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo gave the order sequel to an application dated July 8, 2011 filed by Deji's new lawyer, Mr. Jimoh Lasisi, SAN, who urged the court to release the passport of his client so that he could travel on health grounds.

In the application, brought pursuant to section 123 of the Criminal Justice Administration Law of Lagos State and supported with an 18-paragraph affidavit sworn to by Deji himself as well as a letter written by a medical consultant, Dr. Ravi Dasan, the applicant claimed that Deji had numerous medical conditions which require monitoring by experts.

The letter stated, 'The above (Deji) has been a patient of the practice for forty years. He has numerous medical conditions that require regular monitoring and treatment. He is a hypertension sufferer and will require a 24-hour ambulatory monitoring test which is scheduled for August 2011.

'He also suffers from sebaceous cysts which require surgical removal in due course'

The judge in his ruling on the application, mandated the EFCC to release Deji's application, adding that one of the Deji's sureties, Dr. Wuraola Abiola, should deposit her own international passport with the EFCC pending the time Deji would return.

Justice Ongbanjo had earlier on June 30, 2011 granted Deji bail in the sum of two million naira and was two sureties who would enter into bond in the like sum. Part of the bail condition was that one of the sureties must be a relation of Deji who is resident in Lagos while the other must be 'a blood relation sibling' to him.

The sureties who must swear to affidavit of means were further required to produce evidence of tax payment for the past two years and the court further demanded that Deji should deposit his 'international passport or passports' with the EFCC, stressing that the same must not be given back to him without the permission of the court.

Further hearing was adjourned till September 22, 2011.