Olayomi Koiki
ABUJA – Yahaya Bello, the immediate former governor of Nigeria’s Kogi State has been granted bail in the sum of ₦500 million.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja – on Friday – ordered that the former governor must produce two sureties in like sum.
Nwite said the two sureties must swear to an affidavit of means and must be owners of Properties in Abuja.
In addition, the title documents of the properties, which must be in Abuja, will be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court.
Justice Nwite ordered that the ex-governor must deposit his international passport with the court, while he and his two sureties are also to deposit two recent passport photographs with the court.
He also ruled that Bello be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
Bello pleaded not guilty to an alleged ₦80 billion fraud levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
EFCC had arraigned Bello before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on a 19-count charge, bordering on alleged money laundering
At the resumed hearing, EFCC’s counsel Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, notified the court of his intention to withdraw an earlier application for abridgment of the earlier date fixed for arraignment.
The attorney said the application had been overtaken by events.
The defendant’s counsel Joseph Daudu, SAN, did not object to this, while Justice Emeka Nwite, accordingly granted the request, striking out the application.
The ex-governor was earlier remanded in a fresh ₦110 billion charge by the anti-graft agency, pending his bail application
The case was adjourned to February 24 for the continuation of hearing
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