The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, December 13 granted bail to the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to the tune of N500 million with two sureties in the like sum.
In the ruling delivered by the trial Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, he held that the sureties must own landed properties in Abuja, which must be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court.
Justice Nwite also ordered the sureties to swear to an affidavit of means.
In the ruling, the court held that both the defendant and the sureties must submit their recent passport photographs.
Bello was further ordered to surrender his international passport and not travel outside the country without permission.
Justice Nwite held that the defendant should be remanded at Kuje prison, pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
The court subsequently fixed February 24 and 28 for the commencement of hearing of the 19-count money laundering charge brought against the former Kogi State Governor by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Yahaya Bello, who governed Kogi state from 2016 to 2024, had before yesterday’s ruling pleaded not guilty to his alleged complicity in an N80.2 billion fraud of which the EFCC accused him of using five proxies acquire choice properties in highbrow areas of Abuja and Dubai.
