A federal high court sitting in Abuja, presided over by Okon Abang, a judge, has rejected an application for leave to travel abroad for medical treatment filed by Olisa Metuh, former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The judge noted that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the application, since there was a subsisting order directing Metuh to deposit his international passport with the chief registrar of the high court, which was part of the requirements for Metuh’s bail.
He explained that the order had not been set aside, the defendant did not apply to vary the bail conditions, hence the court would not grant the defendant’s request.
“This is not a case of sympathy, but a case of law. This court has no jurisdiction to entertain this application,” he held.
“The court is not Father Christmas to give to the defendant what it did not ask for.
“The application lacks merit. It is accordingly dismissed. The court cannot set aside its decision.”
Abang dismissed Metuh’s argument that no hospital in Nigeria could treatment his ailment for lack of evidence.
