The Federal High Court, Lagos, presided over by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu has fixed August 3 for the hearing of the bail application brought to it by the embattled former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
The former governor was Wednesday brought back into the country from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in controversial circumstances. He had been taken to the UAE for medical attention after he fell ill while in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Atiku Campaign Organisation also yesterday explained that former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar�s visit to Alamieyeseigha in the Dubai hospital was a normal get-well visit devoid of any underhand objective.
Spokesman of the former vice president, Mallam Garba Shehu, who threw light on the visit in a telephone interview with THISDAY yesterday described the allegation in some quarters that the visit breached security procedure as laughable.
He spoke as the Federal High Court, fixed the August 3 date for the hearing of the bail application by the former governor. Alamieyeseigha spent three months in the UAE capital, Dubai, where he underwent medical treatment at the instance of the EFCC.
He was suddenly repatriated to Nigeria Wednesday after he was alleged to have breached the security attached to his overseas medical treatment.
He had been held by the EFCC since his impeachment as governor two years ago.
The ex-governor is being prosecuted by the EFCC for alleged money laundering running into billions of naira, illegal acquisition of properties and false declaration of assets.
He, alongside seven companies believed to be his were being prosecuted on a 40 �count charge by the EFCC,.
In Lagos yesterday, at the resumed hearing of the former governor’s trial, one of his counsel, Mr Mike Okoye, told the court that his client�s bail application was still pending since 2006 and that he was ready to move it.
But the application could not be argued because of a letter written to the court by the EFCC�s, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, informing the court of his inability to be in court for the matter.
The EFCC lawyer had said he was engaged in Abuja for another pressing matter and that he would personally like to handle the matter and therefore sought for a short adjournment.
Okoye, who attempted intimating the court about the circumstances surrounding Alamieyeseigha�s return to Nigeria was immediately rebuffed by the judge who said he was not interested about any matter which is not an issue before the court.
The judge consequently adjourned the matter till August 3 for hearing on the said bail application.
Also speaking yesterday, another counsel to Alamieyeseigha, Chief Mike Ozekhome condemned his repatriation saying it was �wicked�.
He said the former governor was scheduled to undergo more surgeries after having just one before his sudden repatriation.
Meanwhile, Atiku�s spokesman said the former vice president was one of several Nigerians who visited the impeached governor at the Dubai hospital and wondered why there has been an issue about his own visit.
�As a fellow human being and a prominent Nigerian for that matter, the former Vice President was in Dubai on his own vacation. Somebody told him that former Governor Alamieyeseigha was on a hospital bed undergoing treatment and he decided to pay a visit and sympathise with him. What is unusual about that?� he queried.
Jul202007