A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, located in Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria, denied bail on Tuesday to Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the former Governor of Kogi State, who has been in custody since November 25.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Maryann Anenih, the court deemed the bail application submitted by the former governor as premature and lacking merit, stating that it was filed before he had surrendered to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Anenih emphasized that a bail application is intended to contest a defendant’s detention, questioning the rationale behind Bello’s motion when he was not in custody at the time of filing.
She concluded that Bello’s actions indicated an attempt to engage the court’s jurisdiction prematurely. “Therefore, the current application, having been submitted too early, is hereby denied,” the judge stated.
In contrast, the court granted bail to the second defendant in the case, Umar Oricha, in the amount of N300 million, requiring two sureties of equivalent value.
The court has yet to make a decision regarding the third defendant in the case. Bello, who served as Kogi State’s governor from 2016 to 2024, is facing charges related to an alleged N110 billion fraud.
Bello, who governed Kogi State from 2016 to 2024, is currently on trial for his alleged involvement in a N110 billion fraud scheme.
He faces a 16-count indictment brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alongside two officials from the Kogi state government, Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, who are named as the second and third defendants in the case.
On November 27, all defendants entered a plea of not guilty. Trial Justice Aninih has since ordered their detention in EFCC custody while their bail applications are being considered.
The EFCC has opposed the former governor’s bail request, arguing that Bello, as the first defendant, has consistently evaded court appearances.
The agency, represented by a legal team led by Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that multiple attempts to bring him before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, where he faces additional charges, have been unsuccessful.
Furthermore, the EFCC questioned the validity of the bail application submitted on November 22, just five days prior to the arraignment.
The court was therefore requested to reject the bail application submitted by Bello through his legal representatives, led by Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association. In his application, which was based on six grounds, Bello asserted his right to the presumption of innocence as stipulated by law. He maintained his innocence regarding all allegations made against him.
