A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has granted Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Godwin Obla the permission to travel abroad for urgent medical attention as brought by a Federal High Court judge.

The duo are facing corruption charges of giving and receiving bribe brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

Justice Ajumogobia had through her lawyers sought the leave of the court to travel to New York in the US for urgent medical attention for high blood pressure, hypertension, palpitations, and stress related issues.

Counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, had countered the application, contending that if granted leave to travel, she might jump bail and not come back to face her trial.

He also contended that the request to travel for 30 days was a ploy to stall the trial.

But in a Ruling on the application, Justice Hakeem Oshodi pointed out that the prosecution failed to lay evidence that her sickness could be treated in Nigeria.

The judge also declared that the prosecution did not show how the defendant would jump bail.

In exercising his judicial discretion to grant bail, Justice Oshodi held that the 1st defendant being a Federal High Court Judge has a lot to lose if she jumps bail. He was satisfied that she would make herself available for her trial.

He then ordered the Chief Registrar to release the international passport of the 1st defendant to enable her travel abroad between June 7th to June 30th 2017.

The defendant must return the passport to the Chief Registrar on or before July 1, 2017″, Justice Oshodi also ruled.

The judge also granted a similar application by the second defendant, Godwin Obla SAN to travel to Houston, Texas in the US for medical treatment.

After the ruling, the EFCC called its 10th witness, a legal practitioner, Charles Musa who pleaded client solicitor Privileges after admitting that he drew up a draft agreement for Justice Ajumogobia in respect of a property.

He however denied drawing up the agreement or signing same on the grounds that the judge did not get back to him after his draft.

The EFCC has however tendered in evidence a deed of agreement between Ajumogobia’s company, Nigel and Colive and another company, County and City Bricks, purportedly drawn by the witness.