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The Court of Appeal, Abuja on Wednesday dismissed an appeal by the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, for lacking in merit.
Metuh had approached the court challenging the refusal of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where he is facing a money laundering charge, to allow him travel to the United Kingdom for medical attention.
The former PDP publicity secretary accused Justice Abang of bias in his trial, also prayed the appellate court to order the transfer of his case from Abang to another judge of the federal high court.
But the three member panel of justices led by Justice Abdul Aboki, who delivered the unanimous judgement of the appellate court held that Metuh failed to place any material evidence before the court to show that the trial court was biased.
According to him, the trial court meticulously put into consideration all the evidence placed before it before arriving at its decision.
Aboki held that Metuh did not place anything before the lower court to show that his health deteriorated, as at the time he filed the application to warrant the release of his international passport to enable him travel abroad for treatment of his spinal cord injury.
“This appeal is utterly without merit and it is hereby dismissed. The ruling of Justice Okon Abang of the court below is hereby affirmed,” Justice Aboki said.
The former PDP publicity secretary, along woth his company, is facing a money laundering charge before Justice Okon Abang of the Abuja Federal High Court, for allegedly receiving the sum of N400 million from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Mohammed Dasuki (rtd) to fund the 2015 presidential election of the PDP.