Yahaya Bello Granted N500m Bail, Prohibited From Foreign Travel

Yahaya Bello Granted N500m Bail, Prohibited From Foreign Travel

The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has granted former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello bail in the amount of N500 million as he faces trial for an alleged N10.4 billion fraud…READ MORE…

The presiding judge ordered Bello to surrender his passport and stipulated that he cannot leave the country without the court’s permission.

Bello, along with co-defendants Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu, is charged with 16 counts, including conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and possession of illegally obtained property. They were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on November 27 and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

On December 10, Justice MaryAnne Anenih had previously rejected Bello’s initial bail application, deeming it premature and inappropriate since it was filed prior to his arrest and court appearance. However, she granted bail to his co-defendants, setting it at N300 million each, and adjourned the case until January.

On Thursday, Bello’s lawyer, J.B. Daudu (SAN), submitted a new bail application, which the judge reviewed and subsequently approved, setting the conditions for the bail with three sureties of equal value.

The judge specified that the sureties must be reputable citizens who own land in the Maitama, Guzape, Apo, Wuse 2, Garki, Utako, or Asokoro areas of Abuja. She ordered the sureties to deposit the relevant property documents with the court registrar along with two recent passport photographs.

Additionally, Bello must deposit his passport and other travel documents, as the judge firmly stated, “The first defendant must not travel without the court’s permission and shall remain in the Kuje correctional facility until the bail conditions are fulfilled.”

Bello is also required to submit two recent passport photographs along with a photocopy of a valid means of identification, such as his passport or national ID card.

During the proceedings, Bello’s lawyer informed the court of the new bail application and mentioned ongoing discussions between the prosecution and defense aimed at ensuring a swift trial. Prosecution counsel Olukayode Enitan (SAN) confirmed collaboration between both sides and indicated no opposition to the bail application, leaving the final decision to the judge’s discretion.

After considering the submissions from both counsels, Justice Anenih approved the bail application, scheduling the next trial dates for January 29 and 30.

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