Held in Nigeria without bond on a 30-count charge including conspiracy to steal, stealing, and forgery, it is has been confirmed that Sunday Akinyemi, a US fugitive, has been granted a medical visa by the British Embassy. The EFCC has vowed to keep Akinyemi in Nigeria and fight his latest pressure to sustain a court decision allowing him to seek medical treatment outside Nigeria.
Held in Nigeria without bond on a 30-count charge including conspiracy to steal, stealing, and forgery, it is has been confirmed that Sunday Akinyemi, a US fugitive, has been granted a medical visa by the British Embassy. The EFCC has vowed to keep Akinyemi in Nigeria and fight his latest pressure to sustain a court decision allowing him to seek medical treatment outside Nigeria.
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Akinyemi, 57, held by the EFCC without bail because of his criminal record and history of jumping bail in the US, has applied to the court for permission to seek treatment for a purported stomach cancer in the UK. In opposition, the EFCC argued that the treatment sought by Akinyemi is available in Nigeria and more importantly, that nothing could guarantee Akinyemi’s return to Nigeria once allowed to leave for the UK. In an attempt to preempt an unfavorable ruling, Akinyemi reacted by filing a petition against the presiding judge, Justice J. Adebajo. Although he has been granted a visa by the British Embassy, he is prevented from leaving Nigeria until final ruling by the court. EFCC plans to fight Akinyemi’s petition in order to preserve the criminal charges against him.
SaharaReporters has learned that the petition was not Akiyemi’s first attempt to influence the court by filing a petition against the judge. Akinyemi once petitioned against a federal court judge. The case was transferred to another judge at that time. Akinyemi is also known for taking out paid advertorials against EFCC, opposing counsels, and court officials. The EFCC vows not to relent because of Akinyemi’s long criminal history and reputation for jumping bail.
In detaining Akinyemi without bail, EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, successfully convinced the court that Akinyemi jumped bail in the US and that there was no guarantee that he would not jump bail again. A letter from the US Embassy in Lagos has confirmed that Akinyemi, was arrested in July 1993 by the US Drug Enforcement Administration in Houston, Texas, and charged with money laundering, conspiracy, and possession of heroin. He was convicted on September 22, 1995, and sentenced to 108 months in prison after violating his pre-trial release terms. Akinyemi was also arrested by the US Internal Revenue Services on November 10, 2004, in Jacksonville, Florida, and charged with income tax violations. He failed to appear for trial and managed to escape to Nigeria. There still pending is an arrest warrant issued against him by the US Marshals Service as a result. Documents obtained by SaharaReporters also show that Akinyemi was convicted for a series of crimes in Houston, Texas, including theft, credit card fraud, and aggravated perjury between 1976 and 1994.
It is unclear whether the British Embassy is aware of Akinyemi’s fugitive status.
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