SunTrust Bank MD asks court for permission to travel abroad over pregnancy complications

 

Halima Buba, the Managing Director (MD) of SunTrust Bank Ltd, on Thursday asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to grant her permission to travel to the United States (US) for medical treatment linked to pregnancy complications.

Buba, who is facing a six-count charge bordering on money laundering, made the request through her counsel, Johnson Usman, SAN, before Justice Emeka Nwite.

PlatinumPost reports that the bank MD, along with the Executive Director/Chief Compliance Officer, Innocent Mbagwu, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged 12 million dollar fraud.

They were arraigned on July 13, 2025, and granted bail of N100 million each with one surety in the same amount.

Justice Nwite also directed that their international passports be deposited with the court registry.

However, Buba, who was present in court on Thursday, filed a motion on notice dated Feb. 2 and filed Feb. 3, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/180/2025, through her lawyer, seeking three orders.

She requested an order varying the bail conditions granted to her on June 13, 2025.

She also asked the court to release her international passport to enable her travel outside Nigeria for medical treatment and follow-up care.

In addition, Buba sought an order directing the chief or deputy chief registrar to temporarily release her travel documents for the proposed trip.

Providing seven reasons for the request, she stated that since being admitted to bail, she had complied fully with the conditions and attended all court sittings.

The MD explained that she required the court’s approval to travel abroad for urgent medical treatment and would complete the treatment and return the passport before the next adjourned date.

In an affidavit supporting the motion, Buba said she planned to travel on Feb. 15 and return before the end of the month.

“That I am pregnant and the pregnancy has some complications that requires an expert in the field.

“That I registered my ante-natal medicals with Deda Hospital, Jahi Abuja.

“”That upon being examined by the Chief Medical Officer of Deda, there is a discovery of some complications and referred my medical situation to Bridge Clinics, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist at Indiana University Health, Carmel, Indiana, United States of America,” she said.

She added that she had been scheduled for urgent treatment in the United States.

According to her, I am ready and willing to be in court on any date this honourable court deems appropriate to adjourn the charge for continuation of hearing having regards to this application.

Buba, who pledged to return to the country after the treatment, said she would not jump bail if the application is granted.

She, therefore, urged the court to approve her request in the interest of justice.

However, the EFCC’s counsel, Ogechi Ujam, strongly opposed the application after Buba’s lawyer moved the motion.

Ujam told the court that a counter affidavit had been filed on Feb. 3, asking the court to dismiss the request.

She argued that the depositions made by Buba were false, speculative and misleading.

The lawyer submitted that, contrary to Paragraph 10 of Buba’s affidavit, the proposed travel date had already been overtaken by events.

She also said that, contrary to the MD’s claim in Exhibit B, which she described as a medical report, the consultant did not state any inability to treat her.

Ujam argued that Buba had not submitted herself for treatment at the hospital listed in Exhibit C and that the facility could not have confirmed her medical status to justify the recommendation to travel abroad.

She further argued that nothing in the application showed that Nigerian doctors or the country’s healthcare system were incapable of managing her pregnancy or other medical needs.

According to her, the bank MD did not explore available local healthcare options and no Nigerian doctor or hospital had advised her to seek treatment abroad.

She added that there was no evidence of a scheduled medical appointment for Buba at the proposed foreign hospital.

Ujam told the court that she had been informed by Mr Ahmad Yahaya, one of the EFCC’s medical doctors, and believed that Buba could be effectively treated in Nigeria.

She reminded the court that the trial had already progressed, with the prosecution calling three witnesses who gave serious incriminating evidence against Buba.

The lawyer said the offences were serious, involving alleged money laundering, and that the stage of the trial created a strong incentive for the defendant to evade proceedings.

“That it is a fact in the public space that it has become a trend that in criminal high profile cases, defendants always bring up medical reasons to travel outside the country to avoid standing trial,” she said.

Ujam maintained that Buba had not provided any material showing that her medical condition could not be treated in Nigeria.

She urged the court to refuse the application.

After hearing the arguments from both sides, Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until March 4 for ruling.