Justice Valentine Ashi of the FCT High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja on
 Friday, September 11, 2015 ruled as an abuse of court process, the
 bail application brought before it by Emmanuel Ehidiamhem Okoyomon,
 former Managing Director of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting
 Company, NSPMC, whose extradition to the United Kingdom, UK, has been
 ordered by a Federal High Court, Abuja.

 Okoyomon, whose extradition is being sought by the UK government over
 his alleged role in the bribery allegation involving officials of
 Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, NSPMC and Securency International Pty of
 Australia between 2006 and 2008, had through his counsel, Mike
 Enahoro, approached the FCT High Court to challenge his continued
 incarceration at Kuje Prisons, pending his extradition.

 Justice E. S. Chukwu of a Federal High Court, Abuja, had on May 4,
 2015 ordered that Okoyomon be extradited to the UK to face charges of
 corruption and money laundering. He was also ordered to be remanded in
 prison custody pending the extradition.

 Dissatisfied by the ruling, Okoyomon had at the time through his
 counsel, Alex Izinyon, SAN, approached the Court of Appeal, seeking
 for a stay of execution of the order of the court. The court in the
 circumstance adjourned sine die pending the determination of the case
 at the Appellate Court.

 However, Enahoro, in a surprise move, approached the FCT High Court to
 challenge Okoyomon’s continued incarceration, alleging infringement of
 his right to personal liberty by the Deputy Comptroller in-charge,
 Medium Security Prison, Kuje and the Attorney General of the
 Federation, AGF. He also filed a bail application at the court, which
 was opposed by the AGF.

 In his ruling, Justice Ashi, noted that the Federal High Court had the
 right to issue writ of habeas corpus, and that the FCT High Court
 could not rightfully sit on the matter.
“Once an appeal court is handling a matter, a lower court cannot hear
 or give ruling on the matter,” the judge ruled.

 He added that: “Since the Federal High Court has refused to grant
 bail, and the appellate court, too, also refused him bail pending his
 appeal, I also cannot find the law to grant the applicant bail.”

He thereafter, advised Okoyomon to take his case to the court of
 appeal as there “is no merit in the court processes”.

Head, Media & Publicity

15th September, 2015