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Judge Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, Monday 21 July 2025, rejected the application of a former governor of the State of Kogi, Yahaya Adoza Bello, for the release of his passport to allow him to travel to the United Kingdom for medical care.
The commission for economic and financial crimes, the EFCC is pursuing Yahaya Bello, together with its nephew, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on charges of 19 cash, at the limit of money laundering for the sum of N80, 246,470, 088.88 billion.
Judge Nwite rejected Bello’s application on the following reasons that Bello did not present sufficient materials before the Court to demonstrate that local health structures cannot manage his health conditions; that the doctor of the Confluence University of Science and Technology who diagnosed him did not declare his area of medical competence; that the letter of invitation of the United Kingdom medical consultant was not signed and therefore useless in the eyes of the law; How nice you want to leave Nigeria and go to the United Kingdom to treat hypertension without presenting any evidence to demonstrate that there has been a deterioration of the disorder.
On June 27, 2025, seated, Bello had through his lawyer, JB Daudu, San, urged the court to temporarily release his client’s passport to allow him to travel in the United Kingdom for medical care.
He said that the defendant had no criminal record abroad and did not represent a flight risk. “It has no criminal record in those countries. The accused is not a flight risk and will return by the end of August. My Lord can even specify a return date,” he said.
Daudu informed the Court that the application was submitted pursuant to section 173 (2) (a) of the administration of the Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and the intrinsic jurisdiction of the Court. He supported the question with a security declaration for 22 paragraphs made to the same beauty, including attached as a medical relationship of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Oknene, Kogi State and an invitation letter from a consultant cardiologist based in the United Kingdom.
However, the prosecutor, Kemi Pinheiro, San, strongly opposed the question, describing it as an abuse of the judicial process. He claimed that Bello had previously presented similar applications before the high court of the FCT, looking for the same relief, which according to him was improper and confused.
Pinheiro has advanced five main reasons why the application should be denied. Firstly, he said that the motion was “technically incompetent” since the surety of Bello’s deposit have not been informed or included in the question, thus raising questions about their responsibility if the defendant cannot return, he noticed that the case against Bello involved money laundering, which was internationally internationally in nature, referring to international nature. “The accused is already under a red notice and an international notice. He risks being arrested abroad and extradited to the countries where he is linked to crimes.
The accusation further discredited the medical report presented by the defense, observing that the doctor who signed it did not indicate his specialization. He also argued that the health concerns cited by the defendant such as low potassium and mild hypertension could be managed locally and not sufficient to fly to the United Kingdom.
He also underlined the irony that Bello had boasted during his mandate to build an ultra-modern hospital in the state of Kogi. “From Abuja to Lokoja it’s two hours. I recommend visiting that hospital rather than making a six -hour flight abroad,” he said.
In his sentence on Monday, judge Nwite rejected the question of beauty.
“The defendant’s applicant is praying for a temporary release of his passport for him, so that he can get a visa to travel in the United Kingdom for medical care. The accused presented two documents in front of this honorable Court, two documents marked as an exposure to and B to demonstrate that he is seriously ill and booked an appointment with an appointment with the consultant in London. The exhibition A is a medical relationship of the University of Conflict and technology, for the teaching of technology, for teaching of technology, for teaching technology, To be in an appointment and has booked an appointment with a consultant appointment with a cardiologist consultant.
“Once again a careful look at the exhibition B would reveal that it has not been signed by the author of the letter. An unprecedented document is a document of worthy. A document that is not signed is not needed no efficacy in law. The position of the law is that a document that is not signed is not useless, it is not useless that this Court is not useless. Terms that a Nigerian medical structure cannot appropriately manage the bad health of an applicant.
“In the instant situation, what the defendant’s applicant is asking the Court is to exercise his discretion in order to facilitate the process abroad of the treatment of his bad health, which is hypertension. This bad health, in my opinion, had not proven serious enough
“In light of the foregoing, I am of the point of view, and so I believe that the defendant accused has not been able to place sufficient criteria before this honorable Court to allow this Court to issue the applicant’s international passport to him in order to travel abroad for medical care. Consequently, this question was refused. This is the sentence of this court”, said the judge.
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