After hours of arguments, a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has granted Kogi State former governor, Yahaya Bello, bail on conditions over his alleged involvement in N110 billion money laundering fraud perpetrated during his tenure as the state governor.
Part of the conditions set by the court include N500 million bail with three sureties who are property owners in Abuja and must deposit his passport to avoid going on any foreign trip without approval of the court.
The former governor and two others were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Maryanne Anenih in Abuja court.
Granting the former governor bail on Thursday, Anenih acknowledged that the offence the 1st defendant was charged with was a bailable one and granted the ex-governor bail in the sum of N500 million, with three sureties in like sum.
The sureties, according to the judges, must be notable Nigerians with landed property in Maitama, Jabi, Utako, Apo, Guzape, Garki and Asokoro.
Bello was also asked to deposit his international passport and other travel documents with the court. He is to remain at Kuje Correctional Centre until the bail conditions are met.
Earlier before the court ruling, Counsel for the former governor, Joseph Daudu, informed the court that the defence counsels had filed a further affidavit in response to the counter affidavit filed and served by the prosecution counsels.
He, however, applied to withdraw the further affidavit, saying, “We do not want to make the matter contentious.”
There was no objection from the prosecution counsel, Olukayode Enitan, SAN. The court, therefore, granted the application for withdrawal, striking out the further affidavit.
Daudu also informed the court that discussions had taken place with the leader of the prosecution counsels, resulting in an agreement to ensure a speedy trial.
In light of this understanding, he urged the court to grant the bail application and requested that if the court would grant Bello bail, the court should kindly review the bail conditions for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd defendants.
He urged the court to broaden the scope of properties to be used as bail sureties to include locations across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), rather than limiting the location solely to Maitama.
The prosecution counsel, Enitan acknowledged that Daudu had been in talks with the prosecution team. In accordance with the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC), the EFCC Counsel gave assurance of their cooperation in expediting the trial.
He said, “I confirm the evidence given by the distinguished member of the bar that is leading the Defence, J.B. Daudu, SAN, that he has been in conversation with the leader of the prosecuting team.
“As with the legal tradition that we should cooperate with members of the bar when it does not affect the course of justice, we have decided not to make this contentious, bearing in mind that no matter how industrious the defence counsel might be in pushing forward the application for bail and no matter how vociferous the prosecution counsel can argue against the bail application, your lordship is bound by your discretion to grant or not to grant the application. We are therefore leaving this to your lordship’s discretion.”
Earlier, Anenih had on December 10 refused the ex-governor’s bail application, saying it was filed prematurely.
While delivering the initial ruling, she said that having been filed when the 1st defendant was neither in custody nor before the court, the instant application was incompetent.
There was, however, room for the governor’s lawyers to file a fresh application for bail and apply for hearing date.
