Subsidy Fraud: Court rejects travel bid by Mahmud Tukur, Arisekola’s son

Mahmud Tukur, son of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and Abdullahi Alao, son of Ibadan based businessman, Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao, failed to get a Lagos High Court in Ikeja to grant them leave to travel abroad

Justice Lateefat Folami, told the accused persons including Felix Ochonogor, who are directors of one of the oil companies indicted in the oil subsidy scam, Oil Marketing and Trading Companies (OM&Ts), to wait until their trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo resumes from his annual vacation to hear the application.

Justice Folami, while ruling on the application by the trio, seeking the permission of her court to travel abroad for Hajj and business trip, said that she cannot overrule an earlier order granted by the trial courts which adjourned the matter till November 13, 2012. Folami said that she could not grant their application to travel outside the country, since Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, who ordered the seizure of their travelling documents did so to ensure that they appear for their trial on the fixed dates. The court also held that allowing them to travel for Hajj rites which would begin in October will clash with the November dates earlier fixed for trial by the trial Judge and that the dates allegedly meant for their business trip abroad has been overtaken by events.