Osamagbe Imadiyi
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has sent Yahaya Bello, the immediate former governor of Kogi State, to the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja on remand while he seeks bail.
The court’s ruling delayed further proceedings in Bello’s criminal case, potentially putting him behind bars until January 29. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed money laundering charges against Bello and two other defendants, which are currently on trial. The charges total N110 billion.
In an earlier ruling on Tuesday, Justice Maryanne Anenih questioned the validity of Bello’s bail application and declared that it was submitted too soon. Justice Anenih declared Bello’s application incompetent since it was filed while he was not in court or detained. She declared: “Therefore, the present application, which was submitted too soon, is hereby denied.”
After filing for bail on November 22, Bello was taken into custody on November 26 and arraigned on November 27.
The two co-defendants of Bello, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, were each granted N300 million in bail by Justice Anenih in two separate decisions, with two sureties in an equivalent amount.The judge ruled that the sureties had to possess property within the court’s jurisdiction that was worth the specified sum.
Further proceedings were then postponed until January 29 of the following year by her. Bello’s attorneys were able to request an early hearing date and submit a new bail application, it was discovered.