4th November, 2011
After 23 days in detention in the camp of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, over suspicions that he concealed nacortic substance in his stomach, ace comedian, Babatunde Omidina a.k.a. Baba Suwe was this morning set free on bail by an Ikeja High Court. This brings the 23-day ‘stand-up comedy’ to an end with its attendant huge embarrassment for the NDLEA.
Justice Yetunde Idowu had on Tuesday ordered the NDLEA to release Omidina on bail today if he did not excrete the substance he was suspected of hiding in his stomach.
At the resumed hearing of the matter before the court this morning, NDLEA lawyer, Mr. Femi Oloruntoba told the court that since Tuesday, nothing incriminating has been found in Baba Suwe’s stomach.
Oloruntoba informed the court that NDLEA is not opposed to Omidina’s release on bail but the agency requested that he should report at its office on Wednesday next week for further investigation.
Baba Suwe’s lawyer Bamidele Aturu opposed the NDLEA’s request and noted that since the court bail order of Tuesday the agency has subjected his client to several medical tests without finding any banned narcotic substance in his stomach.
“On Wednesday, my client was taken to an unknown hospital in Victoria Island, Lagos where he was subjected to numerous tests for over 12 hours. He was purged and several tubes were inverted in his nerves and anus but still nothing was found on him,†he told the court.
Baba Suwe, who was looking frail and weak, further confirmed his lawyer’s argument and said, “they took me to a hospital on the Island, when we got there, they put a tube inside my mouth and another one in my anus. They started pumping water into my stomach through the anus. That day, I excreted six times and I have since then been excreting like that on daily basis.â€
Asked by the court, if Baba Suwe’s account of event was true and why there was no report of such before the court, NDLEA lawyer, Oloruntoba said he was not aware of such test and that no report was forwarded to him in that regard.
However, he promised to communicate to the court if there was such test and the result of it.
After accepting NDLEA’s explanation on the test, Justice Idowu humorously asked Baba Suwe to go home.
“Mr. Omidina, you can now go home. I wish you well and please, take good care of yourself,†Justice Idowu said.
Immediately the court session ended, hundreds of Baba Suwe’s supporters who besieged the court started jubilating inside the court premises.
Court has adjourned the matter till Thursday, 24 November, 2011.
—Henry Ojelu