Osamagbe Imadiyi
Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the immediate former governor of Kogi State, has been detained since November 25 and was denied bail by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama on Tuesday.
In a decision rendered by Justice Maryann Anenih, the court denounced as premature and incompetent the former governor’s request to be released on bail while the charge against him was being decided. The court observed that Bello had submitted the bail application prior to turning himself in to the EFCC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Anenih questioned why the former governor submitted his motion when he was not in custody, emphasizing that a bail application is submitted to contest a defendant’s detention. She concluded that Bello’s action implied that he had made an early attempt to invoke the court’s jurisdiction.
Bello is on trial for allegedly participating in a N110 billion scam. Bello oversaw Kogi state’s operations from 2016 to 2024. He faces a 16-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against him and two Kogi state government officials, Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, who were named as the case’s second and third defendants, respectively.
On November 27, all of the defendants entered not guilty pleas to the charge, despite the fact that trial judge Aninih had placed them under EFCC custody until their bail requests were decided.
The EFCC claimed that the former governor acquired properties such as No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja (N920 million), No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja (N950 million), and No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja (N100 million) by misusing state funds.
The defendants also allegedly obtained other properties with money taken from the Kogi state treasury, including Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N170 million), Hotel Apartment Community: Burj Khalifa, Dubai (five million, six hundred and ninety-eight thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eight dirhams), Block 18, Gwelo Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N60 million), and No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N310.4 million).
Additionally, the defendants were charged with illegally obtaining property, including N677.8 million from Bespoque Business Solution Limited, and transferring $570,330 and $556,265 to TD Bank, USA.
