The immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Friday urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to release his international passport so that he could travel abroad for medical treatment.
Bello, who is currently facing trial over alleged money laundering totaling ₦80.2 billion, requested his lead counsel, J.B. Daudu (SAN), during the resumed hearing of the case.
Daudu argued that his client requires urgent medical attention abroad and is prepared to travel during the court’s vacation period. He emphasized that the request was consistent with the bail conditions, which permit travel with the court’s approval.
“We were served with the counter-affidavit yesterday, and overnight, we filed a further affidavit supported by two exhibits,” Daudu said. “After eight years without travelling, he needs to address specific aspects of his health.”
However, the prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), opposed the application, submitting that a similar request had already been filed before the FCT High Court, describing the current one as an abuse of court process. He also questioned the technical competence of the application.
Meanwhile, the hearing also continued with the testimony of the fourth prosecution witness, Mshelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer at Zenith Bank.
Addressing allegations by the EFCC that Bello’s security personnel had harassed him, Bata firmly denied any such occurrence.
“My Lord, I wish to clarify the matter raised earlier before the commencement of proceedings. I was not harassed by any of the security details attached to the defendant. I was not harassed at all, and I felt the need to clarify this,” Bata stated.
This came after the defence team raised concerns over a report published on the EFCC’s website, which alleged the witness had been intimidated. Defence counsel Daudu expressed disappointment, noting Bello’s peaceful disposition and vowing to investigate the claim.
During further cross-examination, Bata confirmed that the name of Yahaya Bello did not appear as a signatory or beneficiary on the transaction documents presented as evidence.
“From the documents presented, there is no mention of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, as a signatory or beneficiary in any transaction,” he said, referring specifically to Exhibit 22A, pages 24 to 413.
He also disclosed that the accounts in question belonged to the Kogi State Government House Administration and listed officials such as the Permanent Secretary, Chief Accountant, and Accountant as signatories.
Although the prosecution objected to some questions by the defence, insisting that the witness was not a legal expert, Justice Emeka Nwite allowed the witness to answer, noting, “The witness, as an expert, knows what to say.”
Bata also revealed that he oversees a cluster of 13 Zenith Bank branches within Abuja and surrounding areas but clarified that his jurisdiction does not extend beyond the Federal Capital Territory.
On Thursday, the court had admitted several statements of accounts for the Kogi State Government House Administration under Bello’s administration as exhibits. These included computer-generated statements and certificates of identification.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case to July 3 and 4 for the continuation of the trial. He fixed July 21 for ruling on the application seeking the release of Yahaya Bello’s passport.
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