The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has granted bail to Yahaya Bello, the immediate past governor of Kogi State, in the sum of N500 million.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday by Justice MaryAnne Anenih after a fresh bail application was filed.
Bello, alongside two co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, is facing a 16-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The charges include allegations of criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving N110.4 billion.
While Bello’s bail was set at N500 million, the court granted Oricha and Hudu bail in the sum of N300 million each, with two sureties for each defendant.
Justice Anenih outlined stringent conditions for Bello’s bail, including the requirement for three sureties who must own property in specified areas of Abuja, such as Maitama, Guzape, Apo, Wuse 2, or Asokoro.
The sureties are required to submit the title documents of the properties to the court registrar along with two recent passport photographs.
Bello must also provide two recent passport photographs and a valid form of identification, either an international passport or national identity card, after presenting the originals for verification.
The judge further ordered that Bello is prohibited from traveling without the court’s approval and will remain in the Kuje Correctional Facility until all bail conditions are fulfilled.
Justice Anenih had earlier refused Bello’s initial bail request on December 10, citing procedural errors. She noted that the first application, filed on November 22, 2024, was submitted before Bello’s arrest on November 26 and his arraignment on November 27.
The judge described the initial application as premature, ruling it inadmissible. “Having not been filed when the first defendant was either in custody or before the court, this instant application is incompetent,” she stated.
The case continues as the defendants await trial on the charges brought against them by the EFCC.
