Court Grants Melaye Overseas Medical Vacation

A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Wuse, Abuja has granted Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye leave to travel to the United States, US, for medical treatment.

The embattled lawmaker was arraigned before the court on May 2 on charges bordering on his alleged escape from a police vehicle in Abuja on April 24, 2018.

Melaye was alleged to have jumped-off a police van conveying him to Lokoja.

But at the resumed hearing yesterday, Melaye’s counsel, John Odubela prayed the court to order the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command to release the lawmaker’s international passport to enable him travel to the US for a medical treatment.

Odubela disclosed that the embattled lawmaker was an asthmatic patient and his health conditions had deteriorated.

Counsel to the Police, Alex Izinyon, however opposed Odubela’s prayers, saying the defence did not present any referral from the National Hospital to the said US hospital.

Ruling on the matter, the presiding Magistrate, Mabel Segun-Bello held that Melaye be allowed to travel.

Segun-Bello ruled that since Melaye’s health condition existed before the case was filed and the appointment at the hospital predated the trial, there was no need for a referral letter.

She ordered that Melaye’s international passport be released and be allowed to travel out of the country for treatment for a period of 20 days.

The Magistrate, however, ordered that Melaye returns the international passport to the custody of the Commissioner of Police of the FCT upon his return.