Justice Marianne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday reserved judgment until July 17, 2025, on an application by former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello seeking permission to travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
Bello, currently facing a 16-count charge of criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to N110.4 billion, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside co-defendants Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.
During the proceedings, Bello’s counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, presented a motion filed on June 20, 2025, requesting court approval for Bello to attend a scheduled medical appointment in the UK.
The motion also sought the temporary release of Bello’s international passport, with a commitment to return it upon his return to Nigeria.
Daudu supported the application with a 22-paragraph affidavit sworn by Bello, accompanied by medical reports from Confluence University of Science and Technology and a UK-based doctor, Amanda Barnabas, as well as a prior court ruling granting Bello bail without travel restrictions.
Daudu argued that Bello’s consistent court appearances demonstrated he is not a flight risk and dismissed claims of a similar application pending before another court as irrelevant.
He emphasized Bello’s right to seek a second medical opinion abroad and clarified that the sureties, though not formally notified, were aware of the application.
“There is no legal barrier to this request, and past courts have granted similar motions without issue,” Daudu submitted.
Opposing the motion, EFCC counsel Chukwudi Benson, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the application, citing procedural and substantive concerns as Benson.
Adopting a counter-affidavit filed on July 11, 2025, Benson argued that the motion effectively sought to modify Bello’s bail conditions, which mandate the deposit of his passport.
He stressed that Bello’s sureties, integral to the bail agreement, should have been notified to confirm their continued willingness to stand surety if Bello travels abroad.
Benson further accused Bello of abusing court processes by pursuing a parallel application in another court, warning that simultaneous requests for the same passport could lead to conflicting judicial orders.
He questioned the credibility of the medical reports, noting that one was signed by an undisclosed individual on behalf of a consultant.
In a pointed remark, Benson referenced Bello’s claim, during his tenure, of commissioning an “ultra-modern” hospital in Kogi State to curb medical tourism.
“It is only logical that he utilizes the facility he built,” Benson argued.
The EFCC also raised the alarms about Bello’s status on INTERPOL’s red list and the international scope of the charges, which include allegations of illicit property acquisitions in Dubai, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates.
Benson cautioned that allowing Bello to travel could risk his arrest abroad, potentially derailing the trial.
“The defendant has not provided sufficient guarantees of his return,” he concluded.
In response, Daudu reiterated that the court’s bail ruling overrides external restrictions like INTERPOL notices and maintained that the sureties’ awareness mitigates concerns about notification.
After hearing both sides, Justice Anineh adjourned the matter to July 17, 2025, for a ruling.
Source; PM News.
