Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, facing a 19-count money laundering charge, has requested court permission to travel to the UK for medical treatment, prompting opposition from the EFCC.
Bello, through his legal team led by Prof. Joseph Daudu, SAN, filed an application on June 20 to retrieve his seized international passport, a bail condition, to visit a UK hospital for hypertension and hypercalcemia treatment. He assured the court he would return before August for his trial, emphasizing his consistent court attendance and arguing the request is non-political.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, opposed the application, calling it an abuse of court process. The EFCC argued that Bello provided no evidence of a life-threatening condition and noted that Nigeria has adequate hospitals, including those Bello claimed to have built in Kogi to curb medical tourism. The agency also raised concerns about Bello’s Interpol red notice status, warning of potential arrest abroad.
A courtroom drama unfolded when EFCC alleged that a prosecution witness, Zenith Bank Compliance Officer Mshelia Arhyel Bata, was harassed by Bello’s security. Bata refuted this, clarifying a minor altercation unrelated to Bello. The witness also testified that Bello’s name did not appear as a beneficiary in withdrawals from Kogi State accounts. Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the travel application ruling to July 21 and the trial to July 3 and 4.
Bello, who governed Kogi from 2016 to 2024, faces allegations of laundering N80.2 billion, acquiring 13 properties in Abuja and Dubai through proxies, and transferring over $700,000 to a US account in violation of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act. He has pleaded not guilty and remains on bail pending trial.
Leave a comment