Court to rule on Yahaya Bello’s application to travel July 17
Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court docket has adjourned ruling to July 17, 2025, in an utility filed by outmoded Kogi Negate governor Yahaya Bello, in search of the transient liberate of his world passport to enable him to mosey in one other country for scientific therapy.
Bello, who's facing prosecution over an alleged ₦110 billion fraud, is being tried by the Federal Executive. He is represented by counsel led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, while the prosecution group of workers is led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, with Chukwudi Enyebili also performing for the Federal Executive.
In his motion dated June 19 and filed on June 20, Bello is asking for that the court docket grant an scream for the liberate of his passport, which is on the 2nd deposited with the court docket registrar, as half of the bail stipulations beforehand imposed on him.
The utility is supported by a 22-paragraph affidavit deposed by Bello himself, with attachments together with a scientific chronicle and an appointment letter from his treating doctor in one other country.
Daudu argued that the set a matter to is in accordance with 13 authorized grounds, emphasising that the court docket had, in an earlier ruling in December 2024, acknowledged that if the defendant desired to mosey, he would possibly perchance perchance additionally manner the court docket through motion. He renowned that the ruling did now no longer expressly bar Bello from foreign mosey, nor did it prescribe stipulations below which he would possibly perchance perchance additionally mosey.
He also cited a licensed true replica of the court docket’s earlier bail ruling, admitted as Display conceal C, and submitted that the passport liberate became per the court docket’s earlier enviornment. Bello, he stressed out, had repeatedly seemed in court docket, posed no flight disaster, and his sureties had been utterly aware of his mosey plans.
Then again, the prosecution strongly opposed the utility. Enyebili, adopting the prosecution’s 45-paragraph counter-affidavit deposed to by Abubakar Wara, acknowledged that the utility constitutes an abuse of the court docket route of.
He identified that Bello had filed a the same utility before the Federal High Court docket (FHC), which is also watching for ruling later this month.
The prosecution argued that asking two courts for the similar reduction simultaneously undermines judicial integrity and would possibly perchance perchance additionally lead to conflicting rulings.
“The passport sought to be launched is now no longer before this court docket,” Enyebili contended, adding that the Federal High Court docket’s scream predates the one in the present case.
He entreated the court docket to refuse to originate any scream regarding a chronicle now no longer in its custody.
Enyebili also questioned the authenticity and credibility of the scientific documents supplied, claiming the scientific chronicle became signed by a distinct doctor than the one who issued the appointment, and no qualifications of the signing doctor had been supplied. He disregarded it as “a nugatory paper.”
On the distress of healthcare seemingly choices, the prosecution argued that Bello must quiet be handled in Kogi Negate, the set he reportedly commissioned an ultra-standard Reference Neatly being facility intended to curb scientific tourism.
Highlighting the enviornment dimension of the case—together with money laundering charges—the prosecution warned that allowing Bello to leave the country would possibly perchance perchance additionally fair jeopardise the trial.
He renowned that Interpol had once placed Bello on a watchlist, though the defence insisted this step became taken before he seemed in court docket and is now no longer any longer active.
Daudu spoke back that the defence has now no longer breached any bail condition, that the sureties are already educated, and that courts of coordinate jurisdiction—FHC and FCT High Court docket—can each and each employ on such beneficial properties independently with out authorized contradiction.
After listening to submissions from each and each parties, Justice Anenih adjourned the subject to July 17 for ruling. Bello is standing trial alongside others over alleged misappropriation of public funds amounting to 110 billion at some level of his tenure as governor of Kogi Negate.
