An erstwhile spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, has left Nigeria for the United Kingdom to receive treatment for his deteriorating health condition.
Mr. Metuh, who has had a tumultuous battle with his spinal cord, departed Nigeria on Wednesday night – shortly after his passport was released by authorities, sources close to the opposition chieftain told the newsmen on Thursday.
Mr. Metuh’s medical trip comes two weeks after the Appeal Court nullified his conviction by Justice Okon Abang of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, who had slammed him with a seven-year jail term on seven counts of money laundering to the tune of N400 million in February.
A three-man panel of the appellate court had, in a unanimous judgement delivered by Justice Stephen Adah on December 16, accused Mr. Abang of exhibiting bias towards Metuh, in light of his prejudicial remarks in the course of proceedings.
Justice Adah ordered a retrial on the charges, while directing the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to reassign Mr. Metuh’s case to another judge for immediate commencement of a fresh trial.
The former PDP spokesman was on several occasions denied access to overseas medical treatment by Mr. Abang.
