21st December, 2012
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, was this afternoon looking into the request of Dr Wale Babalakin, managing director of Bi-Courtney that officers or agents of the Federal Government should be restrained from harassing, arresting or detaining him in any manner whatsoever.
Dr. Babalakin, in a fresh suit to enforce his fundamental rights filed before the court against the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is urging the court to restrain the respondents and their agents from arresting or detaining him in respect of a charge: IG/239c/2012 pending at the Ikeja Division of High Court of Lagos State.
In his argument, Mr. Wale Akoni, SAN argued that the applicant was granted administrative bail which had not been revoked, that he has not been attending court due to his degenerating health and that due to the siege laid on him by EFCC operatives at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, he had not been able to seek further medical treatment elsewhere.
However, in his counter submission, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, said since the applicant was released on bail, he had refused to make himself available and efforts by EFCC to get him to appear in court proved abortive.
He said security report received by EFCC revealed that Dr. Babalakin was about to leave the country to escape prosecution in Nigeria.
Based on this report, he said EFCC on 5 December, 2012 posted about five officers to LUTH to forestall his escape. He, therefore urged the court to refuse his application, as his fundamental rights had not been violated.
The presiding judge, Justice I.N Buba adjourned the matter till the afternoon for a ruling on the application.
—Akin Kuponiyi