Bi-Courtney Limited has faulted the
siege laid to the hospital ward of the firm’s Chairman, Dr. Wale Babalakin, by
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at the Lagos University Teaching
Hospital, Idi Araba, Lagos.
The firm, in a statement by its
spokesman, Mr. Dipo Kehinde, on Wednesday said the EFCC had laid siege to the
LUTH ward, where Babalakin had been admitted for an undisclosed ailment,
despite a court order barring the anti-graft agency from arresting the
embattled businessman.
The EFCC, however, said on Wednesday
that the businessman was under “surveillance” to verify Babalakin’s claim that
he was sick, and could not appear in court last Thursday during his
arraignment.
It was learnt that no fewer than 20
plain-clothed but heavily armed operatives of the EFCC stormed LUTH on
Tuesday night to ensure that the businessman did not leave the hospital or
travel out of the country.
Our correspondents learnt that the
operatives were, however, not allowed access to the ward where Babalakin was
undergoing medical treatment.
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, described 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.”
Spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson
Uwujaren, told one of the correspondents that the “surveillance” was in line
with a court verdict, which instructed the commission to verify the claim that
Babalakin was hospitalised and also 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 also 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, however, denied the presence of 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.”