The Federal High Court Abuja, has granted former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, permission to travel abroad for medical checkup.

Moro is standing trial alongside two others for alleged N676 million fraud in the 2014 ill-fated Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment exercise.

This is the second time the former minister would be allowed to travel after the court granted a similar request in July 2016.

His lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, told the court that the application for leave to travel again was a follow up on the earlier treatment.

“There is an urgent need for him to go for a follow up checkup on his health as he was given an appointment for April 26,” Kehinde told the court.

He requested that his client’s travel documents be released to enable him travel to Dubai for three weeks for the required checkup.

The lawyer, in a 24-paragraph affidavit to support his application, pointed out that the last time the court granted his client leave to travel, he promptly returned to face his trial on completion of his treatment.

The prosecuting counsel, Steven Odiase, did not oppose the application, but he urged the court to attach conditions since Moro was granted bail on self-recognition.

Ruling on the application, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba said: “I am disposed to granting the application in favour of the applicant because the reason is a follow up to the earlier treatment.

“However, considering the concerns raised by the complainant, I will impose some conditions,” he said.

The judge ordered Moro to produce a letter of undertaking from a surety with landed property in Abuja, or alternatively, the court asked his counsel to guarantee him, that he would come back to face his trial.

He subsequently adjourned the case till May 18 and 19 for resumption of trial.