Abuja court grants Yahaya Bello fresh N500m bail

The immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on Thursday, December 19, secured a fresh N500 million bail from a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting at Maitama, after being in detention since December 10,

In a ruling that was delivered by Justice Maryann Anenih, the court ordered him to provide three sureties in the like sum and held that the sureties must be owners of landed properties within the high-brow areas of Abuja.

Aside from directing the former governor to surrender his international travelling documents, the court held that he should not leave the country without permission.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier granted the ex-governor bail in the sum of N500m with two sureties, in relation to another 19-count charge that borders on alleged N80.2 billion fraud. Bello is facing trial over his alleged complicity in a N110 billion fraud.

 Bello is standing trial for a 16-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him and two officials of the Kogi state government- Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.

The charge against the defendants, marked: CR/7781, borders on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and possession of unlawfully obtained property.

EFCC alleged that the former governor misused state funds to acquire properties, including No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja (N950 million), No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja (N100 million), and No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja (N920 million).

Other properties the defendants allegedly acquired with funds allegedly stolen from the Kogi state treasury, included Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N170 million), Hotel Apartment Community: Burj Khalifa, Dubai (Five Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Dirhams), Block 18, Gwelo Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N60 million), and No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N310.4 million).

Also, the defendants were accused of transferring $570,330 and $556,265 to TD Bank, USA, and possessing unlawfully obtained property, including N677.8 million from Bespoque Business Solution Limited.