……As court rejects bail application, adjourns case till Feb. 25
BY CHRIS OCHOLLA
The immediate past executive governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello was on Tuesday, remanded in the June correctional centre pending February 25, 2025, by a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting at Maitama
Bello is being arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over several financial impropriety allegation he committed during his eight years reign as governor of Kogi state from 2016 to 2024, including a N120b fraud
The former governor, who severally evaded EFCC arrest, until November 25, was slammed with a 16-count charge, along with two officials of the Kogi state government—Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu—who were cited as 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter.
The trial judge, Justice Maryann Anenih issued the remand order after she adjourned the defendant’s trial till January 29 and 30, February 25 and 27 2025.
Justice Anenih dismissed an application that was filed to secure Bello”s released on bail, pending the determination of the case against him.
The court, in a ruling on Tuesday, described Bello”s bail application as premature and incompetent, stressing that the bail application was filed before his eventual arrest and arrangement
The court noted that the bail application was filed on November 22, about three days before he surrendered himself to the anti-graft agency.
Justice Anenih, who emphasized that a bail application is filed to challenge the detention of a defendant, wondered why the former governor filed his motion at a time he was not in custody, stressing that the implication of Bello’s action was that he attempted to invoke the jurisdiction of the court too early.
“The instant application, having been filed prematurely filed is incompetent
“This shows that it was filed several days after the 1st defendant was taken into custody. It is hereby refused,
“Consequently the instant application is hereby refused,” Justice Anenih held
The judge therefore issued the remand order after she adjourned the defendant’s trial till February 25, 2025.
However, the court admitted the 2nd and 3rd defendants to bail in the sum of N300 million with two sureties in the like sum.
As part of the conditions for their bail, the court seized the travelling documents of the defendants.
All the defendants had on November 27 pleaded not guilty to the charge, even as trial Justice Aninih remanded them in the custody of the EFCC, pending the determination of their bail applications.
The EFCC had prayed the court to turn down ex-governor Bello’s request for bail.
Counsel for the anti graft agency, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, told the court that Bello, who is the 1st defendant in the case, repeatedly refused to make himself available for trial that several efforts to secure his presence before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, where he is facing another charge, proved abortive.
More so, the EFCC challenged the competence of the bail application it noted was filed on November 22, about five days before the arraignment took place.
It therefore prayed the court to dismiss the bail application that Bello filed through his legal team led by a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN.
Bello had in his application that was predicated on six grounds, argued that he enjoys the presumption of innocence under the law.
But the defence lawyer urged the court to ignore the EFCC’s claim that his client refused to submit himself for trial.
Bello and his other defendants were charged for conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and possession of unlawfully obtained property.
The EFCC accused the former governor of misuse of state funds to acquire personal properties, properties, including No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja (N950 million), No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja (N100 million), and No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja (N920 million).
Other properties the defendants allegedly acquired with funds stolen from the Kogi state treasury included 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).