A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama on Tuesday ordered the remand of the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in Kuje Prison pending his trial on allegations of ₦110 billion fraud.
Justice Maryann Anenih issued the remand order after adjourning the trial till February 25, 2025.
Bello, who governed Kogi State from 2016 to 2024, is facing a 16-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He is accused alongside two former state officials, Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, who are listed as co-defendants in the case.
The court also dismissed an application filed by Bello’s legal team, led by former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Joseph Daudu, SAN, seeking bail for the ex-governor.
Justice Anenih ruled that the bail application was prematurely filed on November 22, three days before Bello voluntarily surrendered to the EFCC on November 25.
“A bail application is filed to challenge the detention of a defendant. Filing it before being in custody undermines the application’s validity,” the judge remarked.
She further noted, “Consequently, the instant application, having been filed prematurely, is hereby refused.”
However, the court admitted the second and third defendants to bail in the sum of ₦300 million each, with two sureties in like sum. The court also seized their travel documents as part of the bail conditions.
The EFCC, represented by lead counsel Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, argued against granting Bello bail, stating that the former governor had repeatedly evaded trial.
“Several efforts to secure the presence of the 1st defendant in court for another charge pending before the Federal High Court, Abuja, proved abortive,” the EFCC said.
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