In an apparent reaction to the
presence of the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) at the ward where Dr Wale
Babalakin, accused of N3.4 billion money laundering scam, is hospitalised,
the management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has fortified
his security with about 100 private security guards.
Babalakin is
expected to take his plea next Thursday before Justice Adeniji Onigbanjo for allegedly assisting former Delta
State governor, James Ibori to
launder the said amount, with the anti-corruption commission slamming a
27-count criminal charge on him.
Operatives of the commission have
been laying siege to his ward at the hospital since Tuesday and matters got to
a head on Wednesday [Dec. 5] night, when the operatives allegedly clashed with
staffers of the hospital in the course of trying to take charge of Babalakin’s
ward.
When the Nigerian Tribune visited the
hospital on Thursday, stern looking uniformed private security guards,
numbering about 100, were seen manning strategic locations around Babalakin’s ward.
Babalakin is staying
at the private wing which also houses the E2 and E3 sections.
At the entrance to the building were
two mobile police officers who frisked visitors and turned back those who could
not convince them of their mission.
The operatives of the commission,
however, were still keeping their vigil at the inner side of the ward, though
they no longer had direct access to where Babalakin
was, with the private guards serving as sentries at the main entrance to the
exclusive ward.
The security being provided by the
private security was so tight that a few people were only allowed into the ward
area.
Meanwhile, Nigerian Tribune sighted
two specialists coming out of the room where Babalakin was kept at the exclusive ward, said to be the costliest
in the hospital.
Dr
Ajekigbe,
a radiologist was first seen coming out of his room, before a
respiratory/thoracic expert followed suit.
Babalakin took ill
when he was charged to court by the EFCC and got a controversial order halting
his arraignment.
Both the order and the adjournment
for arraignment would simultaneously take place next week Thursday.
