Yahaya Bello Granted N500m Bail By Court docket In ‘N80bn Fraud’ Case

Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi state, has pleaded not responsible to the costs most popular in opposition to him by the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC).

The ex-governor was additionally granted bail within the sum of N500 million, with two sureties in like sum, by the federal excessive court docket in Abuja.

Bello is going through a 19-count cost bordering on alleged cash laundering to the tune of N80 billion.

The defendant is accused of diverting public funds to accumulate property at house and overseas.

When the cost was learn to Bello by an official of the court docket, he stated he understood all of the counts and pleaded not responsible to all of them.

Addressing the court docket, Joseph Daudu, Bello’s lawyer, stated his consumer’s failure to point out up for trial beforehand was not as a result of he supposed to disrespect the court docket.

Daudu stated the choice of his consumer to problem the jurisdiction of the court docket — as much as the supreme court docket — was not out of contempt.

“I wish to place on file that for any impression that may have been created that the defendant didn’t want to seem earlier than your lordship, coincidentally, the ruling on my lord’s sitting this morning handled the difficulty of jurisdiction,” he stated.

“What the defendant did was to ask his counsel to problem the jurisdiction of the court docket, which acquired to the court docket of enchantment and the supreme court docket.

“So it was not a wishful disrespect however he was solely attempting to defend himself. So all of us maintain your lordship in excessive esteem.

“If that impression will need to have been, he shouldn’t have introduced himself for arraignment. That episode is gone and issues are clearer now.”

BAIL APPLICATION

Shifting the bail utility, Daudu assured that the previous governor would at all times be current in court docket for trial.

“I’m saying this with the best sense of accountability that the defendant, a two-term governor of Kogi state, who travelled solely two occasions out of his eight years in service, will at all times be current in court docket always,” he stated.

“There needs to be no apprehension that he’ll soar bail. So we urge your lordship to grant us very affordable situations of bail such that he’ll have the ability to bear.”

Kemi Pinheiro, prosecution counsel, didn’t object to the bail utility.

“We settle for the assurances of the very eminent SAN that the defendant will make himself out there topic to your lordship’s discretionary phrases that could be imposed,” Pinheiro stated.

“By so doing, we are going to ease the burden on the court docket. Subsequently, we is not going to be opposing the eminent SAN’s submission.”

Ruling on the bail utility, Emeka Nwite, presiding decide, stated: “I’ve listened to the submissions of each counsels. It’s not in dispute that each counsels have filed purposes in respect of this.

“Based mostly on the account exhibited by realized counsel for the defendant, which was exhibited and supported by prosecution counsel, I’m minded to alter my earlier stance on this matter.”

He granted the defendant N500 million bail with two sureties.

“Sureties should be landed property house owners inside the jurisdiction of this court docket. They have to swear to affidavit of means. The title deeds of precedence to be verified by the court docket registrar,” Nwite added.

The defendant was additionally requested to submit his worldwide passport. Bello would stay on the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of the bail situations.