Court rejects Yahaya Bello’s bail request

By Olawale Afolabi

The federal capital territory (FCT) high court has declined the bail application filed by Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi.

Maryann Anenih, the trial judge, ruled that Bello’s bail application was filed prematurely before the ex-governor was taken into custody.

On November 27, Bello and his co-defendants Umar Shoaib Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu were arraigned before the FCT high court on a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering.

The former governor had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

During proceedings on Tuesday, Anenih said the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2025 provide that bail applications could be tendered when a defendant has been arrested, detained, arraigned, or brought before the court.

“The instant application for bail showed that it was filed on the 22nd of November. This shows that it was filed several days before the 1st defendant was taken into custody,” the judge ruled.

Bello was arrested by the EFCC on November 26 and arraigned the next day. However, his bail application was filed on November 22, four days before his arrest.

On November 27, Joseph Daudu, counsel to Bello, asked the court to grant the former governor’s bail request on the basis of self-recognition, promising that his client would not jump bail.

Kemi Pinheiro, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), opposed the bail application and argued that the request was grossly incompetent, having been filed before the defendant’s arraignment.