An Abuja High Court has ordered former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to remain in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) until December 10, pending a ruling on his bail application.
Justice Maryann Anenih made the ruling on Wednesday after hearing arguments from counsel for the prosecution, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, and the defence, Joseph Daudu, SAN.
Bello and his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are facing a 16-count charge brought by the EFCC.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read in court. Following their plea, Daudu filed a motion for bail for Bello, asserting his client’s presumption of innocence and right to liberty while awaiting trial.
Pinheiro opposed the bail application, stating that it had expired and citing Bello’s alleged refusal to appear in court for separate charges at the Federal High Court.
He further argued that granting bail to the second defendant, Hudu, a serving government official, posed a risk of committing similar offences.
In response, Daudu refuted claims of non-appearance and emphasized that Bello had complied with court summons.
He argued that the prosecution’s objections lacked merit, as they referenced issues from a different court.
After a brief recess, Justice Anenih adjourned the case to December 10 for a final ruling on the bail applications. Until then, Bello and his co-defendants are to remain in EFCC custody.
Oricha and Hudu had previously been granted administrative bail by the anti-graft agency.
