Yahaya Bello gets N500m bail in N80bn fraud charge after ‘not guilty’ plea

by Happiness Ulumefoh

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday granted bail to the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like sum.

This was after the former governor had pleaded not guilty to the 19-count charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Bello is facing trial for an alleged money laundering to the tune of N80bn but pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

When the case was called for hearing on Friday, counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, notified the court of the intention of the prosecution to withdraw an earlier application for abridgment of the earlier date fixed for arraignment. He said the application had been overtaken by events.

The defendant’s counsel, led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, did not object, and Justice Emeka Nwite accordingly granted the request.

After the defendant had taken his plea, Daudu made clarifications on the reasons he had not been in court during the previous hearings.

“I would like to place on record that for any impression that might have been created that the defendant did not wish to appear before your lordship. Coincidentally, the ruling on my lord’s sitting this morning dealt with the issue of jurisdiction,” Dauda said.

“What the defendant did was to ask his counsel to challenge the jurisdiction of the court, which got to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

“So it was not wishful disrespect, but he was only trying to defend himself. So we all hold your lordship in high esteem. If that impression must have been, he should not have presented himself for arraignment. That episode is gone, and things are clearer now,” he said.

While moving an application for bail, Dauda assured that the former governor would always be present in court for the trial.

“I am saying this with the highest sense of responsibility that the defendant, a two-term governor of Kogi State who travelled only two times out of his eight years in service, will always be present in court at all times,” Dauda said.

“There should be no apprehension that he will jump bail. So we urge your lordship to grant us very reasonable conditions of bail such that he will be able to bear.”

The prosecution counsel concurred, saying though the prosecution had filed a counter-affidavit, they would not oppose the bail, going by the assurances of the learned SAN.

“We accept the assurances of the very eminent SAN that the defendant will make himself available subject to your lordship’s discretionary terms that may be imposed. By so doing, we will ease the burden on the court. Therefore, we will not be opposing the eminent SAN’s submission,” Pinheiro said

Ruling on the bail application, Justice Nwite said, “I have listened to the submissions of both counsels. It is not in dispute that both counsels have filed applications in respect of this.

“Based on the account exhibited by learned counsel for the defendant, which was exhibited and supported by prosecution counsel, I am minded to change my earlier stand on this matter.”

He, therefore, granted the defendant N500 million bail with two sureties.

“Sureties must be landed property owners within the jurisdiction of this court. They must swear to affidavits of means. The title deeds of properties to be verified by the court registrar,” he said.

The defendant was also asked to submit his international passport, and he would remain at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of the bail conditions.

Nigeria News Source had reported that former Governor Yahaya Bello was earlier remanded in custody in a fresh N110bn charge by EFCC pending his bail application.

The judge fixed February 24, 2025 for hearing in the matter.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *