Court grants Yakubu permission to travel abroad

A federal high court in Abuja presided over by Justice Ahmed Mohammed has granted the embattled former Group managing Direct of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

In a ruling on an application filed by Yakubu through his counsel, Ahmed Raji, Justice Mohammed said that he is granting the request because the prosecution counsel failed to challenge it.

He ruled, “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.”

The Judge equally directed that Yakubu’s international passport 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 for the defendant shall immediately return the international passport to the chief registrar of the court,” he held.

The case was adjourned until July 6 for continuation of trial.

Yakubu it will be recalled is standing trial for alleged corruption and abuse of office.He became the poster face for corruption when the EFCC recovered $9.8m cash at one of his houses in Kaduna State.