Senator Rochas Okorocha has sought an order of a Federal High Court, Abuja, granting him leave to travel to the United States (U.S.) for medical treatment.

Okorocha, through his lawyer, Daniel Alumun, made this known on Thursday when the matter came up before Justice Inyang Ekwo, NAN reports.

Alumun, however, informed the court shortly after his case was mentioned, that he was unable to serve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the complainant, respondent motion.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC counsel was not in court.

Justice Ekwo consequently adjourned the matter until July 6 for a hearing of the motion.

In a motion on notice marked: FHC /ABJ/CS/28/2022 dated June 22 and filed June 27 by Okey Amaechi, SAN, Okorocha sought an order granting him leave to travel outside Nigeria for medical treatment; and return before Nov. 7, being the next adjourned date for his trial.

The senator representing Imo West Senatorial District also sought a consequential order for the release of his Nigerian international travel passport booklet, which was deposited with the court registrar in partial fulfilment of the conditions for the bail granted to him.

He further sought for “a consequential order that reliefs(1} and (2) above be communicated by the registrar of this honourable court to the Nigerian Immigration Service, to facilitate the passage of the applicant.

“An order directing the 1st defendant/applicant to return his international passport to the registrar of the honourable court upon his return to Nigeria.”

The lawmaker, who gave three grounds why the reliefs sought should be granted, said he was admitted to bail pending trial in charge number, FHC/ABJ/28/2022.

He said he has duly complied with all the terms of the bail including depositing his travel documents with the registrar of the court.

He said prior to his arraignment, he had “undergone medical surgery at the Ambulatory Surgery Centre, Texas, in the US for distal femur fracture, which he sustained in an accident.”


Okorocha said he has been on regular/scheduled care and treatment at the same Ambulatory Surgery Center, where he has been scheduled for further medical tests, observation and treatment on July 19, 2022, or immediately thereafter.

The former governor is being tried for alleged money laundry during his time as Imo helmsman.

Others arraigned alongside Okorocha are Anyim Chinenye, Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited as 2nd to 7th defendants respectively

No fewer than 38 Nigerians deported from the United Kingdom, in the early hours on Thursday, arrived in Lagos.

According to authorities in Nigeria, the deportees, who are mainly mothers and grandmothers, arrived the Murtala Muhammed international Airport, Ikeja.

They arrived in Lagos early this morning with one Home Office charter flight.

It was gathered that some members of LGBTQ communities seeking asylum were among the deportees.

Some of the deportees claimed they have lived in the United Kingdom for many years.

However, the Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Britush Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, the deportation bothers on violation of immigration-related offences.

It was gathered that the deportees were later conveyed to yet to be ascertained locations.

A former Senate deputy president, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice are to still remain in custody of the British government, as the Oxbridge Magistrate Court on Thursday adjourned hearing in the case of alleged human trafficking against them to July 7, 2022.

The couple, who had appeared for an appeal, were remanded in prison custody last week by the court after they were alleged to have conspired to traffic an underage person identified as David Ukpo into the UK for the purpose of tricking him to donate his kidney to the Senator’s daughter.
At the initial appearance, the prosecutor had told the court that the lawmaker brought a 15-year-old boy from Nigeria to the UK with the claim that he was to be given a better life but was actually to harvest his organ to treat their daughter who is suffering from kidney disease.

The court had denied the Ekweremadus bail but following further revelations including the Nigerian Immigration Service coming out to say the boy in question was 21 and not 15 as claimed, and the Nigerian Senate weighing in on the matter by resolving to send a delegation to meet with the Nigerian Consular in London, the couple opted for an appeal.

But the appeal was not successful as the London court once again, denied them bail and again, ordered that they should remain in custody pending the July 7 date fixed for hearing.

The Senate on Wednesday during plenary, had said it was sending a high powered delegation from the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to the UK to visit Ekweremadu and his wife, as well as the Nigerian High Commissioner to Britain, Alhaji Isola Sarafa, to liaise with the Consular to provide legal assistance to the embattled Senator.

“There will be a delegation to London to see Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife. A delegation from the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Senate will leave in the next two days for London for that purpose,” Senate President Ahmed Lawan had said after a closed-door session of the lawmakers in Abuja.

“I want to urge all federal government institutions that can do anything to ensure that justice prevails in this case, that they do so.

“I had a personal engagement with our Nigerian High Commissioner to Britain, Alhaji Isola Sarafa, who has done so well to establish contact with our colleague, who has been able to get his team to be in the court at Uxbridge where Ekweremadu was taken to.

“The high Commission has also been able to provide some consular services that include the engagement of some lawyers who will defend our colleague.

“But I want to ensure the family of our colleague, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and Nigerians, that the Senate will continue to engage with our ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as our High Commission in London. The High Commission has done so much but we still expect that it will continue to provide any other further consular services,” Lawan added.