Murder Case: Supreme Court bars Rivers APC Chairman from foreign trip

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a motion by the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, Ojukaye Amachree to travel to Dubai for a medical checkup.

Giving ruling, Justice Inyang Okoro held that the application lacked merit, adding that the applicant was being prosecuted on a murder case.

Okoro noted that the “medical update letter’’, dated Dec.15, 2016, had no connection with the type 2 mellitus diabetes, which Amachree claimed he had.

Also, Justice Walter Onnoghen, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who presided over the panel, expressed worry why Amachree’s trial had not commenced fully after 25 adjournments.

The CJN said from the record of the court, Amachree had refused to appear in court all the while.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Amachree’s five-count charge bordering on the alleged murder of Iminabo Dokubo, attempted murder of Ipalibo Jackson is pending at the High Court in Port Harcourt.

The applicant had approached the court with a motion on notice pursuant to Sections 33, 36(5) and (6), and Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Amachree had sought an order granting him leave to travel to Dubai, United Arab Emirate, to enable him meet up with the medical appointment scheduled with Dr George Davis.

He had also prayed for the release of his international passport with passport No: A04003142, deposited with the registrar of the Court of Appeal as part of the conditions of the bail granted to him.

The applicant was however, refused bail on May 26, 2016 by a High Court in Port Harcourt, but had the decision set aside on Nov. 24, 2016 by the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt.

Amachree stated that following his detention and subsequent release by the appellate court, his health deteriorated leading to his collapse and resuscitation on various occasion both in and out of prison.

The applicant averred that the Saudi German Hospital had agreed to treat him and therefore scheduled an appointment with him for February 16, 2016 at Dubai, UAE.

Amachree said he could not meet the appointment as his international passport had been with the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt.

He stated that a similar application had earlier been filed at the Court of Appeal on Jan. 24, 2017 but was struck out on Feb. 28, 2017.