JUST IN: Court declines Yahaya Bello’s bail application
By Jeffrey Agbo
An FCT High Court on Tuesday refused to grant a bail application filed by the ex-governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, because it was filed prematurely.
Justice Maryann Anenih ruled that the application was incompetent as Bello filed it when he was neither in custody nor before the court.
The former governor is standing trial, along with two others, in an alleged N110bn money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The defendant’s counsel, JB Daudu (SAN), had told the court that he submitted sufficient facts to grant the bail.
He urged the court to exercise its discretion judicially and judiciously to grant the bail.
In opposing, the prosecution counsel Kemi Pinheiro had argued that the instant application was grossly incompetent, having been filed before arraignment.
He said it ought to be filed after arraignment but the 1st defendant’s counsel disagreed, saying there was no authority.
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While delivering her ruling, Justice Maryann Anenih said, “The instant application for bail showed that it was filed on the 22nd of November. This shows that it was filed several days after the 1st defendant was taken into custody.”
Bello had filed an application for his bail on November 22 but was taken into custody on 26th November and arraigned on 27th November.
The second defendant Umar Oricha was granted bail in the sum of N300m with two sureties.
The sureties must be a holder of a property in Maitama valued at not less than the bond sum, they must also deposit their original title document before the court.
The sureties must depose to an affidavit of means and copies of passport of sureties be deposited.
The court also ruled that Oricha shall deposit travel documents and be remanded in prison custody pending fulfillment of the bail conditions.
