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Justice Marianne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Excessive Court docket, Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, reserved ruling until July 17, 2025, on an software filed by former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, looking for permission to journey to the UK for medical therapy.
Bello is standing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count cost bordering on legal breach of belief and cash laundering to the tune of N110.4 billion.
The Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee, EFCC, is prosecuting the trio.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, counsel to the primary defendant, J.B. Daudu, SAN, moved a movement on discover dated June 19 and filed June 20, 2025, looking for depart of courtroom to permit Bello to journey for medical therapy.
He additionally sought an order of non permanent launch of the defendant’s worldwide passport to allow him attend a scheduled medical appointment within the UK, with an endeavor to return the passport to the courtroom upon his return.
Daudu knowledgeable the courtroom that the appliance was introduced on 13 grounds as acknowledged within the face of the movement and supported by a 22-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Bello himself.
Connected to the affidavit had been two medical studies, together with one from the Confluence College of Science and Expertise, and a medical appointment letter with one Dr. Amanda Barnabas within the UK.
He additional relied on Exhibit C, which he recognized as a licensed true copy of the ruling of the courtroom that granted Bello bail, stressing that there was no situation barring him from travelling overseas.
“We undertake all of the paperwork and written addresses filed in help of the appliance,” Daudu submitted, arguing that the appliance was not an abuse of courtroom course of.
He contended that the prosecution’s objection primarily based on the existence of an analogous software earlier than one other courtroom was unfounded, noting that it’s inside the rights of a defendant to hunt a second medical opinion if he can afford it.
“There isn’t any proof that the primary defendant is a flight threat. He has persistently attended courtroom and has not defaulted. The one subject raised by the prosecution is that the sureties weren’t placed on discover, however that could be a private matter between the sureties and the defendant,” he mentioned.
Nevertheless, in opposition to the appliance, prosecution counsel Chukwudi Inibini, SAN, urged the courtroom to refuse the request. He adopted the affidavit in opposition deposed to by one Abubakar Wara on July 4, 2025.
Inibini argued that the appliance sought to change the bail circumstances already imposed by the courtroom, which particularly required that the defendant deposit his worldwide passport.
“The sureties had been a part of the bail course of and should be placed on discover, particularly to substantiate whether or not they’re keen to proceed as sureties if the defendant travels overseas,” he mentioned.
He additional accused the defendant of participating in abuse of courtroom course of by submitting an analogous software in one other courtroom, noting that the appliance was nonetheless awaiting ruling.
“The correct factor would have been for the defendant to retrieve his passport from the opposite courtroom after which apply for a journey allow earlier than this courtroom. Asking each courts to launch the identical passport on the identical time creates the chance of conflicting orders, which is an abuse of course of,” he mentioned.
The prosecution additionally raised considerations in regards to the authenticity and credibility of the medical studies connected to the appliance, declaring that one of many studies was signed on behalf of a guide with out disclosing the qualification of the signatory.
Inibini additional reminded the courtroom that Bello had, throughout his tenure as governor, commissioned what he described as an “ultra-modern” hospital in Kogi State, which he touted as one of the best in Nigeria.
“My Lord, he himself mentioned the hospital was constructed to finish medical tourism. Now that he seeks to journey overseas, it’s only honest that he makes use of the hospital he constructed,” he mentioned.
The prosecution additionally knowledgeable the courtroom that the defendant is presently on INTERPOL’s crimson listing and that a few of the fees within the matter, notably counts 11 and 14, have worldwide dimensions involving properties allegedly acquired in Dubai, the US, and the United Arab Emirates.
He warned that permitting the defendant to journey overseas might expose him to arrest and complicate the continuing trial.
“He has not offered ample assurance that he’ll return. Given his antecedents earlier than he introduced himself to the courtroom, we urge your lordship to dismiss this software,” he mentioned.
Responding on factors of regulation, Daudu insisted that the sureties had been already conscious of the appliance and that there was no threat of conflicting orders, as courts have granted comparable functions previously with out subject.
On the difficulty of INTERPOL crimson discover, he argued that the courtroom’s grant of bail supersedes any exterior restriction.
After listening to all arguments, Justice Anineh adjourned the matter to Thursday, July 17, 2025, for ruling.
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