Court Grants ₦500m Bail to Yahaya Bello in Alleged ₦80bn Fraud Case

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to Yahaya Bello, the former Governor of Kogi State, in the sum of ₦500 million.

Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Emeka Nwite stipulated that Bello must provide two sureties in the same amount. The sureties are required to swear an affidavit of means and own properties in Abuja, with title documents to be verified by the court's Deputy Chief Registrar.

The court also ordered Bello to surrender his international passport and submit two recent passport photographs, along with those of his sureties. Until his bail conditions are fulfilled, the former governor is to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja.

Bello pleaded not guilty to the 19-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accuses him of laundering ₦80 billion.

During the hearing, EFCC counsel Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, withdrew an earlier application to expedite the arraignment, a motion that was unopposed by Bello's legal team, led by Joseph Daudu, SAN. Justice Nwite granted the request and struck out the application.