The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has ordered the remand of Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his bail application in connection with an alleged N110 billion money laundering case.
On Monday, Maryann Anenih, the trial judge, adjourned the case to January 29 and 30, and February 25 and 27, for further proceedings. The court also ruled that Bello’s bail application had been filed prematurely, as it was submitted before he was taken into custody.
Justice Anenih clarified that under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2025, bail applications could only be filed after the defendant has been arrested, detained, or brought before the court. Bello was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on November 26 and was arraigned the following day. However, his bail application had been filed on November 22, four days before his arrest.
Bello, alongside his co-defendants Umar Shoaib Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu were arraigned on November 26 on 16 counts of alleged money laundering. The trio pleaded not guilty to all charges.
While the court declined Bello’s bail application, his co-defendants were granted bail. Oricha and Hudu were both granted N300 million bail, with the condition of providing two sureties who own property within the Maitama district of the FCT.
The trial judge further directed that each surety must enter a bond for no more than one defendant and ordered that the defendants deposit their passports with the court registrar.
