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Bi-Courtney Lambasts EFCC for Storming Babalakin’s Hospital Ward

By on December 6, 2012

Bi-Courtney Limited has faulted the storming of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into Babalakin’s Hospital Ward at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, Lagos.

Bi-Courtney’s representative, Mr. Dipo Kehinde, in a statement said EFCC had laid siege to the LUTH ward were Babalakin is been treated of an undisclosed ailment, after the court ordered them not to arrest Babalakin.

The EFCC however said their presence was not to arrest Babalakin’s but to confirm his alleged ailment that stopped him from appearing in court last Thursday during his arraignment, adding that he was simply “under surveillance.”

At least 20 plain plain-clothed but heavily armed operatives of the EFCC were said to have stormed LUTH on Tuesday night to make sure Babalakin does not snick out of the country.

A source in the hospital said, “The EFFC operatives, initially, resisted the hospital’s security staff and attempted to force their way into Babalakin’s ward, leading to a face-off that lasted till about 1am this morning.”

Kehinde, however, portrayed the move by the commission as harassment.

Kehinde said, “This is a new trend in judicial administration in Nigeria and it reflects the desperation by the EFCC to violate provisions of the law and constitution in order to circumvent justice, and a violation of the basic human rights of the citizen.

“It is noteworthy that this brings back sad memories of the days of the late Gen. Sani Abacha, when the rights of Nigerians were trampled upon with ease.”

EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, told one of the correspondents that the “surveillance” was ordered by the court to verify the claim that Babalakin was hospitalised and to make sure that he was in court at the next adjourned date.

He said, “We have placed him under surveillance in order to carry out an instruction from the court. EFCC is to verify his hospitalisation and make sure that he is present in court at the next adjourned date. Nobody is disturbing his treatment.”

A source in the EFCC said, “The ruling of the court was that the EFCC should verify whether he was actually hospitalised or not. Hospital is for the sick, so nobody will want to cause any panic.”

Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Akin Osibogun, on the other hand, said he did not see security operatives around the ward where Babalakin was on admission or around the hospital.

Osibogun said, “I have not seen any security operatives around my patients ward and if they are in plain clothes I would also not know; but we work with law enforcement agents from time to time.

“I have not received any detaining order for him. So, nobody so far has interfered with the management of our patient.”

One Comment

  1. Deebee

    December 6, 2012 at 10:02 am

    Stop trying to get people to feel pity for your boss, Nigerian mass don’t like don’t care for those who take what rightly belongs to them. You have beat the drum, pls face the music, sweet or sour…………hahaha chop alone and die alone ni o. All the workers you refuse to pay over the years nko? Their hungry children and relatives too? There God aint sleeping you know