N110.4bn Fraud: Yahaya Bello Granted N500m Bail
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A High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja on Thursday, granted an ex-Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, bail in the sum of N500 million and three sureties.
Justice MaryAnne Anenih delivered the ruling after listening to a fresh bail application.
Bello, alongside two others, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are facing trial on 16 counts preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of N110.4 billion.
The court, however, granted the second and third defendants, bail in the sum of N300m with two sureties alongside other conditions.
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Further reading out the conditions for Bello’s bail, the judge held that the sureties must be responsible citizens who are landowners in any of the listed areas in Abuja – Maitama, Guzape, Apo, Wuse 2 or Asokoro.
She ordered that the sureties must deposit the documents of the property with the court’s registrar alongside two recent passport photographs.
Justice Anenih also ordered that Bello must deposit two copies of his recent passport photograph alongside a photocopy of a means of identification which could be either an International Passport or National Identity card after showing the original to the court’s registrar.
She held, “The first defendant must not travel without the permission of this court and he shall remain in the Kuje Correctional Facility until the bail conditions are met.”
Recall that on December 10, the court had rejected Bello’s bail request citing procedural irregularities in the filing of the application.
Justice Anenih, while delivering the ruling, stated that the application was premature and filed before Bello was present in court or custody.
The court noted that the bail application, dated November 22, 2024, was filed before Bello’s arraignment, which took place on November 27, 2024; days after he was taken into custody on November 26, 2024.
