Breaking: Court Approves Yahaya Bello’s Request to Travel Amid Fraud Case
- The Federal High Court granted Yahaya Bello permission to travel to Saudi Arabia for the 2026 lesser Hajj amid his ongoing fraud trial
- Justice Emeka Nwite ordered the temporary release of Bello’s international passport for a 10-day period
- The EFCC did not oppose the travel request but insisted that all scheduled trial dates remained unchanged
FCT, Abuja - A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted permission to a former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to travel.
The approval was to allow the former governor who is under trial over alleged fraud to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the 2026 lesser Hajj (Umrah), despite his ongoing trial over alleged financial crimes.
Source: UGC
Justice Emeka Nwite, on Thursday, January 29, ordered the temporary release of Bello’s international passport, which had been deposited with the court, to enable him undertake the religious exercise, Vanguard reported.
“I have listened to the submissions of counsel in this matter and am minded to grant the application,” the judge ruled.
Passport released for limited period
According to the court order, Bello’s passport will be released from March 13, 2026, for a period of 10 days, after which it is to be returned to the custody of the court.
Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter to Friday, January 30, for the continuation of trial, specifically the examination of the seventh prosecution witness.
Bello standing trial over N80.2bn allegations
The former governor is currently standing trial on charges of alleged money laundering and misappropriation of funds amounting to ₦80.2 billion, in a case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Bello has consistently denied the allegations since his arraignment before the court.
Defence says trip is for spiritual supplication
Bello’s request to travel was contained in an application dated January 20, supported by a 24-paragraph affidavit deposed to by the former governor himself.
Moving the application, his lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, told the court that the trip was intended to allow Bello observe the lesser Hajj during the month of Ramadan, Punch reported.
“He has not visited the Holy Land in over eight years and seeks the court’s permission to go and offer prayers,” Daudu said.
He added that the former governor wished to pray for divine intervention over the charges against him.
EFCC raises no objection but insists on trial dates
Responding on behalf of the prosecution, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, said the EFCC did not oppose Bello’s request to travel for religious reasons.
Source: Twitter
However, he stressed that the prosecution would not concede any of the trial dates already fixed by the court.
Court hears testimony on alleged fund movements
Earlier in the proceedings, the seventh prosecution witness, Olomotane Egoro, a subpoenaed official of Access Bank, testified on alleged cash inflows from several local government areas of Kogi state into accounts linked to Fazab Business Enterprise and E-Traders International Ltd.
Egoro also told the court that multiple cash withdrawals were made from the accounts, details which form part of the prosecution’s case against the former governor.
The trial continues later this month amid keen public interest.
VDM attack Yahay Bello
Previously, Legit.ng reported that social media commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has publicly declared support for former Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello ahead of the Kogi Central senatorial election.
VDM’s position comes on the heels of a clarification by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regarding Bello’s ongoing N82.2bn fraud case. The anti-graft agency stated that the former governor remains innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law, clearing the political path for Bello’s senate ambition.
Source: Legit.ng
