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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted permission to the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to observe the lesser hajj during the last ten days of Ramadan.
The approval was given on Thursday by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, following an application filed by Bello through his legal team, seeking the temporary release of his international passport to enable him undertake the religious pilgrimage.
The former Kogi State governor is currently standing trial over alleged financial crimes and is on bail, with his international passport deposited with the court as part of the bail conditions imposed to ensure his availability for trial.
In granting the request, Justice Nwite held that the application was properly brought and that the defendant had demonstrated sufficient grounds to justify a temporary variation of his bail conditions.
According to the court, the request was granted “in the interest of justice and on the assurance that the defendant will remain available to face trial.”
As part of the approval, the court ordered that Bello must strictly comply with the travel timeline outlined in his application and return to Nigeria immediately after completing the pilgrimage. The court further directed that the passport be released strictly for the purpose of the trip and re-deposited with the court upon his return.
The judge warned that “any breach of the conditions attached to the approval will attract the revocation of bail and appropriate sanctions.”
The prosecution, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), did not oppose the application but urged the court to impose strict conditions to ensure Bello’s return.
Counsel to the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, told the court that while the commission had no objection to the travel request, “the defendant must be made to return within the period stated so that the trial can proceed without hindrance.”
The ex-governors is facing charges bordering on alleged money laundering and misappropriation of public funds during his tenure as governor of Kogi State. He had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to a later date for the continuation of trial, with the court emphasising that the approval of the travel request “does not in any way affect the substantive hearing of the case.”