Mary Onyia
A Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday, detained the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in Kuje prison.
Justice Maryann Anenih gave the order for his detention the after she adjourned the defendant’s trial till February 25, 2025.
Recall that the former governor had earlier filed an application to be released on bail, until the determination of the case against him.
The immediate past governor of Kogi state from 2016 to 2024, is charged with alleged complicity in N110 billion fraud.
He is answering to a 16-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him and two officials of the Kogi state government—Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu—who were cited as 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter.
The erstwhile governor has been in detention since November 25.
The court rejected the bail application after it observed that Bello filed the application on November 22, even before he was taken into custody
Justice Anenih, who stressed that a bail application is filed to challenge the detention of a defendant, wondered why the former governor filed his motion at a time he was not in custody.
Justice Anenih said: “Consequently, the instant application, having been filed prematurely, is hereby refused,” the trial judge held.
However, the court admitted the 2nd and 3rd defendants to bail in the sum of N300 million with two sureties in the like sum.
As part of the conditions for their bail, the court seized the travelling documents of the defendants.
All the defendants had on November 27 pleaded not guilty to the charge, even as trial Justice Aninih remanded them in the custody of the EFCC, pending the determination of their bail applications.
With additional reports from the Vanguard