Court Grants Yahaya Bello N500million Bail, Seizes Passport, Remands Him In Kuje Prison Over N80bn Fraud

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted N500million bail to former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who is standing trial for N80.2billion.

Justice Emeka Nwite who presided over the court session on Friday ordered that the former governor must produce two sureties in like sum.

He said the two sureties must swear to an affidavit of means and must be owners of Properties in Abuja.

In addition, the title documents of the properties, which must be in Abuja, will be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court.

Justice Nwite ordered that the ex-governor must deposit his international passport with the court, while he and his two sureties are also to deposit two recent passport photographs with the court.

He also ruled that Bello be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja pending the perfection of his bail conditions.

SaharaReporters had reported that Bello, on Friday, pleaded “not guilty” to the 18-count charge brought against him by the EFCC.

The charge is bordering on money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of about N80.2 billion.
After the charge was read to him, Bello responded that he was not guilty of all 18 counts.
When the case was called for hearing, counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, of the intention of the prosecution to withdraw an earlier application for abridgement of the earlier date fixed for arraignment.

Meanwhile, Joseph Daudu, SAN, representing Bello, did not object to the withdrawal.

However, Justice Nwite granted the request and struck out the application.