Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello was on Tuesday remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre by the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
This decision came ahead of the hearing of his bail application in a N110 billion money laundering case.
Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned the case to January 29 and 30, 2027, for further proceedings. Additional hearings were scheduled for February 25 and 27, 2027, to continue with the trial of the former governor and his co-defendants.
Earlier, Justice Anenih rejected Bello’s bail application, ruling that it was filed prematurely. The judge explained that the application was submitted when Bello was neither in custody nor present in court, rendering it invalid.
“The application is incompetent because it was filed prematurely,” Justice Anenih said, noting that the motion had been filed before Bello’s arraignment. She emphasized that bail applications should be filed after a defendant has been formally detained or brought before the court.
Bello is standing trial alongside two others for alleged involvement in a N110 billion money laundering scheme brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The case has attracted widespread attention due to the magnitude of the alleged corruption.
Bello’s counsel, JB Daudu, SAN, argued for his client’s bail, highlighting Bello’s status as a two-term governor of Kogi State. Daudu assured the court that his client would not interfere with witnesses or attempt to flee if granted bail.
In contrast, prosecution counsel Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, opposed the bail application. Pinheiro argued that the application was grossly incompetent, as it had been filed before Bello’s formal arraignment, which, according to the prosecution, violated legal procedures.
Justice Anenih explained that the bail application had been filed on November 22, 2024, several days before Bello was taken into custody. She referred to provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which state that bail applications should only be filed after a defendant has been arrested, detained, or arraigned.
Bello was taken into custody on November 26, 2024, and formally arraigned on November 27, 2024, after the bail application had already been filed. This sequence of events led the court to reject the motion for bail.
Meanwhile, the second defendant, Umar Oricha, was granted bail in the sum of N300 million, with two sureties having property in Maitama, FCT. Oricha was ordered to remain within the jurisdiction of the court and not to leave the country without permission.
The third defendant, Abdulsalami Hudu, was granted bail under the same conditions as Oricha, with a N300 million bond. Both defendants were directed to deposit their international passports with the Court Registrar as part of their bail terms.
Each surety was required to enter into a bond for no more than one defendant, and the defendants were prohibited from traveling abroad without the court’s approval.
