The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court remanded Yahaya Bello, a former governor of Kogi state, in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending his bail application on Tuesday, December 10.
Yahaya Bello: Court fixes Feb 25, 2025, for trial
The court also adjourned the case to January 29, February 25, and February 27, 2025, for further proceedings.
Legit reported that in an earlier ruling on Tuesday, Justice Maryanne Anenih dismissed Bello’s bail application, because it was submitted on November 22, before Bello’s November 26 arrest and November 27 arraignment.
Justice Anenih held that the application, having been filed when Bello was neither in custody nor before the court, his application was incompetent.
Bello is standing trial, along with his nephew, and two others, in an alleged N110 billion money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
As reported by Channels TV, she held that the defendant’s counsel JB Daudu (SAN) had told the court that he had submitted sufficient facts to grant the bail.
In two other rulings, Justice Anenih granted bail to each of the two Bello’s co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, at N300m with two sureties in like sum, The Nation reported.
Gunmen abduct Yahaya Bello’s aide
In another development, Legit reported that gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have reportedly abducted Kabiru Onyene, an aide to Yahaya Bello.
Onyene was abducted in his office, at Okene in Kogi around 7.05pm on Monday, December 9.
According to Daily Trust, gun-wielding men in their numbers forcefully took him to an unknown destination.