Justice O.H. Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, on Monday, April 10, 2017, refused an application filed by a Federal High Court Judge, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, seeking leave of the court to enable her travel abroad for medical check.
Justice Ajumogobia is standing trial alongside Godwin Obla, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, on a 30-count charge bordering on alleged perversion of the course of justice, unlawful enrichment and forgery.
The defendants allegedly committed the offences on May 21, 2015 when they conspired to pervert the course of justice with N5million.
At today’s hearing, the prosecution counsel, Idris .A. Muhammad, told the court that the first defendant, Ajumogobia, through his counsel, Robert Clarke, SAN, had sought the leave of court to travel out of the country for medical check in an application dated March 7, 2017.
The prosecution counsel further told the court that counsel to the first defendant had also filed an application dated April 4, 2017 challenging the jurisdiction of the court to try his client.
In his ruling on the applications, Justice Oshodi refused the first defendant’s application seeking leave of the court to travel abroad for medical check on the grounds that the application challenging the jurisdiction of the court must be heard first before other issues could be attended to.
Justice Oshodi also declined an application filed by Ifedayo Adedipe, SAN, seeking leave of the court to allow his client, Obla, to travel abroad for medical check.
The judge said: ‘‘whatever decisions made by the court in the matter must affect both parties, since it is a joint trial.’’
Consequently, counsel to the first defendant sought to temporarily withdraw the application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter so as not to delay further proceedings.
However, Justice Oshodi maintained that the application had been brought before the court and would be heard before other pending applications.
The case was adjourned to April 28, 2017 for continuation of trial.
