Court opposes release of Shekarau’s international passport to perform lesser hajj

Kalu, others’ case adjourned to June 27
A Federal High Court in Kano yesterday declined application filed by former Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, seeking the release of his international passport to travel for lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia.

In the affidavit filed by his counsel, Abdul Adamu, Shekarau is asking permission to leave the country and return between May 30 and June 23, 2018 respectively.

Responding to the application forwarded to him,

But the prosecution counsel, Johnson Ojogbane, filed a counter-affidavit vehemently opposing the motion on notice.

Meanwhile, ruling on the motion, Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar however dismissed the application and subsequently refused the release of the travelling documents.

In the copy of the ruling obtained by The Guardian, Justice Abubakar held that “after due consideration of the motion of the defendant application and the counter-affidavit of the respondent, I deem it unnecessary to release the passport of the defendant as it is one of the conditions in the grant of his bail.”

In a related vein, Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has adjourned further hearing in the trial of former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu and two others till June 27.

At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the prosecution counsel, led by Rotimi Jacob (SAN), sought for adjournment of the case to enable him respond to fresh applications filed by the defendants.

Jacob informed the court that the defendants had served him series of applications bordering on their opposition to amendment of the charge against them.

He said: “I am praying the court for a very short adjournment in order to respond.

I will be grateful if the court can give us a date after public holiday.”

The defence counsel didn’t oppose the prosecution’s application and the court granted it.