Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has been granted a fresh bail of N500 million by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja.
The decision was delivered on Thursday by Justice Maryann Anenih, marking a significant development in the legal proceedings against the former governor. Bello has been in detention since December 10 due to allegations of financial misconduct during his time in office.
The court stipulated strict conditions for the bail. Bello is required to provide three sureties, each with properties located in high-value areas of Abuja. Furthermore, the court ordered him to surrender his international passport and prohibited him from traveling abroad without prior approval.
Bello, who governed Kogi State from 2016 to 2024, is facing a 16-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charges allege his involvement in a N110 billion fraud alongside two former officials, Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu. Accusations include conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and possession of unlawfully obtained assets.
The EFCC has detailed properties allegedly acquired through stolen funds, including multi-million-naira assets in Abuja, such as No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama, valued at N950 million, and an apartment in Dubai worth nearly 5.7 million dirhams. Other claims include unauthorized fund transfers totaling over $1.1 million to TD Bank, USA.
EFCC alleged that the former governor misused state funds to acquire properties, including No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja (N950 million), No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja (N100 million), and No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja (N920 million).
Other properties the defendants allegedly acquired with funds stolen from the Kogi state treasury, included Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N170 million), Hotel Apartment Community: Burj Khalifa, Dubai (Five Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Dirhams), Block 18, Gwelo Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N60 million), and No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N310.4 million).
This latest bail follows an earlier Federal High Court decision, which granted Bello bail on a separate 19-count charge of alleged N80.2 billion fraud. The case underscores ongoing efforts to address corruption in public office.
