Please don’t insist on presentation of my Maitama Abuja landed property as bail conditions —Yahaya Bello begs court
Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello requested the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, to relax the requirement of presenting landed property in Maitama as part of his bail conditions.
Represented by his attorney, J.B. Daudu SAN, Bello made this appeal on December 19, 2024, before Justice Maryann Anenih.
Daudu contended that the unique characteristics of Maitama hinder the acquisition of Certificates of Occupancy and other property title documents, even for potential sureties.
He noted that many individuals willing to act as sureties are hesitant to relinquish their original title documents, and that numerous buildings in Maitama are corporate entities, such as Transcorp Hilton and NCC.
Consequently, Daudu urged the court to consider alternative upscale areas like Asokoro, Wuse 2, and Guzape when determining bail for his client.
During the proceedings, Daudu informed the court that Bello’s bail application was submitted on December 18, 2024, with the prosecution providing a counter-affidavit on the same day.
He stressed the importance of granting Bello unrestricted access to aid in his defense, highlighting that the charges against him are bailable and that critical documents are only accessible to him.
Daudu pointed out that the second and third defendants had already been granted bail, and that procedural delays were the only reason his client had not yet received bail.
The prosecution’s counsel, Olukayode Eniton SAN, expressed no opposition to the bail application, confirming that communication had occurred with Daudu and indicating a willingness to defer to the court’s discretion regarding bail terms, provided the defendant commits to standing trial.
In her decision, Justice Anenih approved bail for Bello in the amount of N500 million, requiring three sureties of equal value.
These sureties must be distinguished Nigerians possessing real estate in areas such as Maitama, Jabi, Utako, Apo, Guzape, Garki, or Asokoro.
The judge mandated that Bello surrender his passport and any travel documents to the court registrar, and he is to remain in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service Centre in Kuje until the bail conditions are fulfilled.
Additionally, the judge modified the bail terms for Bello’s co-defendants, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, lowering their bail from N300 million to N200 million, allowing them to provide properties within the court’s jurisdiction that correspond to the bail amount.
Bello, Oricha, and Hudu are charged with 16 counts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which include allegations of criminal breach of trust and money laundering totaling N110.4 billion. Justice Anenih has postponed the hearing on the main case until January 29, 2024.
