Court summons Falana over release of accused from prison

Femi Falana

President,West African Bar Association,WABA, Mr. Femi Falana, yesterday, was compelled by a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere, to appear before it to explain his relationship in an undertaken which aided an accused it remanded in Ikoyi Prison to be released.
Trial judge in the matter, Justice Ebenezer Adebajo, noted that the order remanding the accused, Sunday Akinyemi (1st defendant), in prison had not been set aside by the Federal High Court and was still intact.
He said: “I find that the counsel of the 1st defendant, Falana, knowing that the bail application sought for in this court is still pending, why then did he (Falana) go to a Federal High Court to obtain an order releasing the 1st defendant from prison to enable him go to the United Kingdom for medical treatment? Mr. Falana is obliged to explain his relationship in an undertaken given to this court.”
In the undertaken, Falana (1st defendant’s lawyer) assured the court that on his client’s return to the country, he would be taken back into prison custody and made to stand trial.
Falana said he had met with the authorities of EFCC over the issue and assured them that his client’s trial would continue once he overcame his health problem.
The 2nd defendant, Olu Osho, was present in court, but the substantive trial could not go on due to the absence of the 1st defendant, Akinyemi, who was said to be receiving treatment in UK. Falana was also not in court, but  was represented by Ishola Osho, Augustine Audu and Chukwuma Onwuemene.
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