Court grants Melaye leave to proceed abroad for medical treatment

– Sen Dino Melaye has been granted leave by a Chief Magistrates Court in Abuja, to travel to the US for medical treatment – The Court ordered the commissioner of Police, FCT Command, to release the senator’s passport so he can leave the country – Melaye will be away for a period of 20 days ; however, he was instructed to return the passport as soon as he returns A Chief Magistrates Court in Wuse, Abuja, has granted Senator Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi) leave to travel to the United States for an appointment with his physician. The embattled senator was on May 2 arraigned before a court on charges bordering on his alleged escape from a Police vehicle in Abuja on April 24, 2018. TheNigerialawyer gathers that Melaye’s counsel, John Odubela (SAN), at the resumed hearing on Wednesday, June 6, prayed the court to grant an order directing that the senator’s international passport be released by the commissioner of Police, FCT Command, in order to enable him proceed for treatment abroad. Odubela informed the court that his client is an asthmatic patient, and that his health had deteriorated. He further expounded Melaye’s health condition with a medical report from the National Hospital, which was attached as Exhibit DM3. The lawyer said Melaye has an appointment at the US hospital on June 28. His application was however opposed by the counsel for the Police, Dr Alex Izinyon (SAN), who pointed out that there was no referral from the National Hospital to the one in the US, presented by the defense. Izinyon also denied paragraphs in the defense’s affidavit which stated that the Police had beaten Melaye and exposed him to teargas. The presiding magistrate, Mabel Segun-Bello, in her judgment, held that there was no need for a referral letter since the senator’s condition existed before the case was filed, and the appointment at the hospital abroad predated the trial. She subsequently ordered the release of Melaye’s passport and ruled that he would be out of the country for treatment for a period of 20 days (June 18 to July 8 2018). However, Melaye was instructed to return his passport back to the commissioner of Police, upon his return back to the country. Recall previously reported that Sen Dino Melaye said he jumped out of the Police vehicle conveying him to Lokoja because teargas canisters were used on him twice in the vehicle. The lawmaker, in a counter affidavit filed by his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, before a Lokoja High Court, said he jumped when the Police also reneged on their promise of arraigning him before an FCT High Court.]]>