By Deborah Nnamdi
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday rejected a request by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to release his international passport to allow him to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling during the resumed hearing of the money laundering case filed against Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), held that the medical report submitted in support of the application lacked credibility, as it was unsigned.
While the EFCC had argued that the application constituted an abuse of court process, Justice Nwite disagreed, ruling that it was not procedurally improper.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Bello had sought permission to travel to the United Kingdom for medical attention, citing a history of hypertension spanning 15 years. His counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, argued that the court had been presented with two expert reports (Exhibits A and B) detailing the former governor’s medical condition and urged the court to exercise its discretion in his favor.
However, the EFCC’s lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, opposed the request, arguing that it mirrored a similar application pending before the FCT High Court and was therefore an abuse of process. He also claimed that the application was technically defective because the defendant’s sureties had not been notified.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite clarified that the case before the court was between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Yahaya Bello—not the sureties—stating that there was no legal requirement to involve sureties in such an application.
“The prosecution failed to cite any legal provision, local or international, mandating notice to sureties or their involvement in the application,” the judge noted.
Justice Nwite further explained that although Bello is facing trial in both the Federal High Court and the FCT High Court, and had been granted bail by both courts in December 2024, the current application was not an abuse of process. He emphasized that both courts are of coordinate jurisdiction and the FCT High Court had merely required the defendant to seek leave of court before traveling.
However, on the core issue of the medical report, the judge stated:
“Exhibit B, the doctor’s report submitted by the applicant, was not signed by its maker. An unsigned document has no legal weight and is devoid of probative value.”
Consequently, Justice Nwite ruled that Bello had failed to present sufficient evidence to justify the release of his passport.
“The application is hereby refused,” the judge declared.
The case was adjourned to October 7, October 10, November 10, and November 11, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
