Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, has scheduled July 17, 2025, to deliver a ruling on an application filed by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, seeking permission to travel abroad for medical attention.
During the resumed hearing, Bello’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), urged the court to release the former governor’s passport—currently in the custody of the court registrar—to facilitate the proposed medical trip.
However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting Bello for alleged money laundering, opposed the request. The anti-graft agency submitted a counter-affidavit, arguing that allowing the defendant to travel could delay the ongoing trial.
In response, Daudu told the court that the defence had filed an additional 20-paragraph affidavit—sworn to by Bello himself—on July 7, 2025, along with two supporting exhibits.
“Exhibit C is the certified true copy of your lordship’s ruling granting the defendant bail, while Exhibit D is the ruling of the Federal High Court also admitting him to bail,” Daudu said. “We respectfully adopt these documents in support of our application.”
Addressing claims that filing the same request in multiple courts amounted to an abuse of process, Daudu argued that it was necessary, as the EFCC had initiated charges in both courts. He maintained that seeking permission in only one court would be ineffective.
In his response, EFCC counsel Chukwudi Enebele (SAN) criticized the defence for failing to notify Bello’s sureties of his intention to travel. He insisted that the sureties must be informed and given the chance to decide whether they still wish to stand for him.
Enebele also accused the defence of creating a potential judicial conflict by filing similar motions in both the FCT High Court and the Federal High Court.
But Daudu countered that the sureties were already aware, and dismissed concerns about Interpol red alerts, claiming they were no longer active and irrelevant to the matter.
After hearing both sides, Justice Anenih adjourned the ruling on the application to July 17, 2025.
