A federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, July 17, 2025, struck out an application by the former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, for the release of his passport to enable him travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
The court, presided over by Justice Maryanne Anineh heard the matter brought to it by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in which is prosecuting Bello alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of N110.4 billion.
The former Kogi state governor, Bello, through his counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, had made an application, dated June 19, 2025 and filed on June 20, 2025, praying for a temporary release of his passport to enable him attend a scheduled medical appointment in the United Kingdom, with an undertaking to return the passport to the court upon his return.
At the resumed sitting on Thursday, prosecution counsel, Jami’u Agburo, informed the court that the matter was for ruling on the application and that the prosecution was ready.
In her ruling, Justice Anineh held that her court lacked the jurisdiction to grant the application since the defendant’s passport was not held by her court.
“She adjourned the case till October 8, 9 and November 13, 2025, for continuation of trial”, the EFCC said in a statement issued by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale on Thursday, and shared with journalists.
