Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja has fixed July 17, 2025, to deliver a ruling on an application filed by the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, seeking permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

At the resumed hearing, Bello’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), informed the court that his client was requesting the release of his passport—currently in the custody of the court registrar—to enable him to seek medical attention outside the country.

However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting the former governor, opposed the request.

The anti-graft agency filed a counter-affidavit, arguing that granting Bello permission to travel could stall further proceedings in the ongoing trial.

In a swift response, Daudu told the court that the defence had submitted a further affidavit comprising 20 paragraphs. The affidavit, filed on July 7, 2025, was deposed to by Bello himself and included two exhibits to support his medical travel request.

“Exhibit C is the CTC of the ruling of your lordship, admitting the defendant to bail, and Exhibit D is the ruling of the FHC admitting him to bail.

“We adopt these documents in urging your lordship to grant our application,” he stated.

Responding to the prosecution’s argument that the application was an abuse of court process in the sense that a similar application was filed at the FHC.

He argued that it could not be an abuse of the court process. He based his argument on the fact that the complainant had instituted those charges in the separate courts.

“Exhibit C is the CTC of the ruling of your lordship, admitting the defendant to bail, and Exhibit D is the ruling of the FHC admitting him to bail.

“We adopt these documents in urging your lordship to grant our application,” he stated.

Daudu submitted that it would be a futile exercise to apply in one court but not in the other.

While defending the counter-affidavit of the EFCC, the prosecution counsel, Chukwudi Enebele (SAN), said the defendant should have put his sureties on notice concerning his application to travel out of the country.

According to him, the sureties need to decide whether they want to continue standing as sureties for him when he travels.

He added that, by filing the same application at both the FCT High Court and Federal High Court, the defendant’s counsel was setting the courts on a collision course.

Responding, Daudu said the sureties were already aware.

“Finally, on the Interpol matter, it is a dead argument. He has never flouted your lordship’s order. They themselves have even forgotten about those red alerts,” the lawyer added, urging the court to grant the application.

After listening to both parties, Justice Anenih adjourned the case to July 17, 2025, for ruling.