Court rejects Yahaya Bello’s request to travel, cites unsigned medical report

 Torchlight news.


Court Rejects Yahaya Bello’s Request to Travel, Cites Unsigned Medical Report


The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a request by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to release his international passport so he could travel abroad for medical treatment.

In his ruling on Monday, Justice Emeka Nwite said the medical report submitted alongside the application was unsigned, rendering it legally invalid. The judge emphasized that such a document holds no legal weight and cannot be considered by the court.

The ruling came during a session in the ongoing money laundering trial against Bello, initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Bello had requested permission to travel to the UK for medical care, claiming he has been battling hypertension for 15 years. His lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN, presented two documents meant to support the application.

While Daudu argued that sufficient evidence had been presented to justify the request, the EFCC’s lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, opposed the motion, describing it as an abuse of court process. He also argued that the application was similar to another pending one before the FCT High Court and noted that the defendant’s sureties were not notified.

However, Justice Nwite disagreed with the EFCC’s claim that the motion was abusive or incompetent. He clarified that the case before him was between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Yahaya Bello—not involving the sureties—and that the prosecution failed to cite any law requiring notice to sureties in such motions.

The judge also ruled that since the Federal High Court and FCT High Court have concurrent jurisdiction, filing a similar application in both courts does not constitute abuse of process.

Despite these clarifications, the judge found the unsigned medical report (Exhibit B) inadmissible and said Bello failed to provide enough credible material to justify the release of his passport.

The court, therefore, denied the application and adjourned the case to October 7, October 10, November 10, and November 11 for further hearing.

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