The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Thursday granted Yahaya Bello, the immediate former governor of Kogi State, bail in the amount of N500 million with three sureties.
The trial judge, Justice MaryAnne Anenih, announced the decision after hearing a new bail application submitted before the court following the court’s refusal to grant Bello bail at the previous sitting.
Bello, along with two others, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are on trial for 16 counts of criminal breach of trust and money laundering totalling N110.4 billion brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The court, however, granted the second and third accused bail in the amount of N300 million with two sureties, among other conditions.
Further spelling out the requirements for Bello’s bail, the judge ruled that the sureties must be responsible individuals who own property in any of Abuja’s specified regions—Maitama, Guzape, Apo, Wuse 2, or Asokoro.
She ordered the sureties to deposit the property’s documentation with the court’s registrar, along with two recent passport photos.
Justice Anenih also ordered Bello to deposit two copies of his most current passport photograph, as well as a photocopy of a form of identity, such as an international passport or national identity card, after showing the original to the court’s registrar.
She held, “The first defendant must not travel without the permission of this court, and he shall remain in the Kuje Correctional Facility until the bail conditions are met.”
Recall that on December 10, the court denied Bello’s bail plea due to procedural flaws in the application’s filing.
While delivering the verdict, Justice Anenih remarked that the application was filed prematurely, before Bello was present in court or in jail.
The court noted that Bello’s bail application, dated November 22, 2024, was filed prior to his arraignment on November 27, 2024, which occurred days after he was arrested on November 26, 2024.
She said, “Having not been filed when the first defendant was either in custody or before the court, this instant application is incompetent.
“Consequently, the application, having been filed prematurely, is hereby refused.”
