By Ayo Kehinde
An Abuja High Court, on Thursday, granted renowned constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, permission to travel to the United Kingdom for six weeks on medical grounds.
Justice Chizoba Oji gave the order after granting Ozekhome’s application for the temporary release of his international passport, which had been deposited as part of his bail conditions in an ongoing forgery and impersonation trial.
The court’s decision followed confirmation by the prosecution that it had no objection to the request, provided the senior lawyer returned the passport within three working days of his return to Nigeria.
Ruling on the application, Justice Oji held that Ozekhome’s six-week medical trip would commence on July 9 and end on August 20.
“Having considered the motion and noting that there is no objection, I hereby grant the request and temporary release of the first defendant’s international passport to enable him to embark on his medical trip”, the judge ruled.
The judge further directed Ozekhome to return the passport to the court on or before August 26 and subsequently adjourned the trial until September 28 for continuation.
The application came after the court discovered on Tuesday that the prosecution had failed to deposit the international passports of the defendants with the court despite the bail conditions imposed when they were arraigned in February.
Justice Oji consequently ordered the prosecution to produce the passports without fail on Thursday.
At Thursday’s proceedings, prosecuting counsel, C. L. Asonta, complied with the directive and presented the international passports of both defendants before the court.
After Ozekhome confirmed ownership of the passport, the court asked the prosecution whether it objected to the application for its temporary release.
Although Asonta raised no objection, he urged the court to direct Ozekhome to return the passport within three working days of his return from the United Kingdom.
Ozekhome and his co-defendant, Ponfa Useni, were arraigned on February 27 by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) on a 12-count charge bordering on forgery and impersonation arising from a protracted ownership dispute over a property in the United Kingdom.
Ponfa is the son of the late Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni, who served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory during the military administration of the late Gen. Sani Abacha.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2020 to procure a false Nigerian international passport bearing Passport No. A07535463 in the name of one Tali Shani.
The prosecution further alleged that Ozekhome assisted Useni in impersonating Tali Shani and that both men created a forged irrevocable power of attorney to facilitate Ozekhome’s claim to the disputed property in the United Kingdom.
The alleged offences form part of the legal battle surrounding ownership of the London property, which has generated proceedings in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Both defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges and have consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The case is expected to resume on September 28 for the continuation of the trial.
