An Abuja High Court has granted businessman Mike Ozekhome permission to travel to the United Kingdom for a six-week medical trip while standing trial over alleged forgery and impersonation.
Justice Chizoba Oji, who delivered the ruling on Thursday, ordered Ozekhome to return his international passport to the court on or before Aug. 26 after completing the trip.
Ozekhome and his co-defendant, Ponfa Useni, were arraigned on February 27 by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) on a 12-count charge bordering on alleged forgery and impersonation arising from a dispute over ownership of a property in the United Kingdom.
During proceedings, the court noted that the prosecution had failed to deposit the defendants’ passports as part of the bail conditions earlier granted in February. The judge had consequently directed the prosecution to produce the travel documents in court on Thursday.
Complying with the directive, prosecution counsel C.L. Asonta presented the passports. After Ozekhome confirmed ownership of his passport, the court sought the prosecution’s position on his application for its temporary release.
Although the prosecution did not oppose the request, it urged the court to direct Ozekhome to return the passport within three working days of his return to Nigeria.
In her ruling, Justice Oji approved the application, stating that there was no objection to the request.
“Having considered the motion and the absence of any objection, I hereby grant the request and order the temporary release of the first defendant’s international passport to enable him to embark on his medical trip,” the judge ruled.
The court held that the six-week travel period would run from July 9 to August 20 and fixed September 28 for the continuation of the trial.
Useni, the second defendant, is the son of the late Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory during the military administration of the late Sani Abacha.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2020 to forge a Nigerian international passport bearing the name “Tali Shani” and used it to facilitate impersonation.
The prosecution further alleged that Ozekhome assisted Useni in impersonating Tali Shani and that both men also created a forged irrevocable power of attorney to support Ozekhome’s claim to the disputed UK property.
The defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the charges and denied any wrongdoing.
