The immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has appealed to the Federal High Court in Abuja to return his international passport so he can travel abroad for medical treatment.
Bello is currently facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged involvement in money laundering totaling ₦80.2 billion.
At Friday’s hearing, the former governor’s lead counsel, J.B. Daudu (SAN), filed an application seeking the release of Bello’s travel documents, citing urgent medical attention.
But the prosecution team, led by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), opposed the request, stating that a counter-affidavit had already been submitted in opposition.
He contended that the application lacked merit, arguing that a similar motion had already been submitted to the FCT High Court, making the new request an abuse of court processes.
In his response, Daudu argued that the prosecution was the one abusing court processes. He said, *“We were served with the counter-affidavit yesterday, and overnight, we filed a further affidavit addressing the complainant’s counter-affidavit, supported by two exhibits.
“My Lord, the substance of this application is the release of my client’s international passport in accordance with the bail conditions, which require court approval for travel. He has pressing medical needs to attend to during the court’s vacation period. After eight years without travelling, he needs to address specific aspects of his health,”* Daudu added.
Meanwhile, the EFCC had earlier alleged that the fourth prosecution witness, Mshelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, had been harassed by members of Bello’s security team.
However, Bata denied the claim, stating in court that he was not subjected to any form of harassment. The defence team, led by Daudu, expressed disbelief over the claim and assured the judge that he would look into the matter.
The judge advised Bello’s legal team to thoroughly investigate the claim.
Following his cross-examination, Bata requested permission to make a clarification on the earlier allegation. He said, “My Lord, I wish to clarify the matter raised earlier before the commencement of proceedings. I was not harassed by any of the security details attached to the defendant. I was not harassed at all, and I felt the need to clarify this, my lord.”
Daudu also drew attention to a publication on the EFCC’s website, which alleged the witness had been harassed, and claimed the report misrepresented what transpired in the previous day’s proceedings. In response, Pinheiro told the court he would notify the EFCC of the defence’s concerns.
While under further cross-examination, Bata confirmed that Bello was neither a signatory nor a beneficiary of any of the transactions contained in the submitted account statements.
He said, “From the documents presented, there is no mention of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, as a signatory or beneficiary in any transaction.”
Bata went on to identify those listed as signatories on the Kogi State Government House Administration accounts, including officials like the Permanent Secretary, Chief Accountant, and other designated personnel. He also confirmed receiving letters about changes in those appointments.
Some of the defence’s lines of questioning were objected to by the prosecution, who argued the witness should be confined to the evidence on record, insisting, “The witness is not an expert in law.”
Justice Emeka Nwite countered, “The witness, as an expert, knows what to say.”
Bata further informed the court that he oversees a network of 13 Zenith Bank branches in Abuja and areas including Gwagwalada, University of Abuja, Baze University, and Garki, among others—clarifying that his oversight does not extend beyond the Federal Capital Territory.
He was instructed to list the names and designations of the account signatories, in line with the documents admitted in evidence.
It was disclosed in a previous court session that the judge admitted into evidence the account statements of the Kogi State Government House Administration during Bello’s tenure, along with those of six others. These were officially marked as exhibits.
Bata submitted computer-generated copies of the statements and presented certificates of identification for each account, complying with legal protocols.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter to July 3 and 4 for the continuation of the trial and set July 21 to rule on the travel document application.
Advertisement
