The Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has been remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre by the Federal Capital Territory High Court Maitama in Abuja.
Recall that the embattled governor and two others, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are standing trial on 16 counts bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering of N110.4bn.
The governor’s lawyers had done anticipatory filing of his bail application before he was even arrested and detained by the authorities, apparently to ensure he did not stay a day in custody following his arraignment.
The strategy backfired as the prosecution team spotted the anomaly and drew the attention of the court to it.
EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), told the court the application was grossly incompetent and against the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Justice MaryAnne Anenih upheld his argument. She sent the ex-governor to prison after describing his bail application as unprocedural.
The judge noted that while Bello was arraigned on November 27, he had filed an application for bail on November 22.
Justice Anenih said: “Having not been filed when the first defendant (Bello) was either in custody or before the court, this instant application is incompetent. Consequently, the application, having been filed prematurely, is hereby refused.”
She adjourned further hearings till January 29 and 30, 2025.
On the other hand, the second and third defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, were successful with their bail applications.
The court granted them N300m bail each with two sureties each in like sum.
Bello’s lawyers promised to file another application for his bail today to ensure he does not spend his Christmas and New Year in jail.
