The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, granted bail to a nephew of Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, Ali Bello, in the sum of N500 million.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on 8 February, arraigned Mr Bello alongside Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege and Iyada Sadat on money laundering charges. The offences, according to the anti-graft agency, involved alleged misappropriation of over N3 billion.
Mr Bello’s wife, Rashida Bello, who is allegedly involved in the alleged crimes, is said to be on the run.
They were subsequently remanded in prison after the defendants pleaded not guilty to the 18-count charge.
But admitting the defendants to bail on Monday, the judge said the charges were bailable.
Mr Egwuatu held that the essence of bail is to give a defendant adequate time to prepare for trial.
Subsequently, the judge granted the defendants in the sum of N500 million each, with two sureties in like sum.
The judge said the sureties must be resident in Abuja, with identiable address and own landed property worth N500 million within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Mr Egwuatu held that the original title documents to the said property must be deposited with the registrar of the court, in addition to evidence of tax payment for three years running from 2020 to 2022.
Also, the defendants are to submit their international passports with the court and can only travel upon obtaining permission from the court.
The judge adjourned the case until 16 April for trial.
The defendants will remain in prison pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.
On 14 February, when the defendants appeared in court for the hearing of their bail request, their lawyer, Ahmed Raji, urged the court to admit his clients to bail on “liberal terms.”
Mr Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), contended that the Nigerian constitution presumes a defendant innocent until proven otherwise.
But he noted that the issue of bail is at the discretion of the court.
The defence lawyer contended that “there is no evidence to support all the allegations in the counter-affidavit” filed by the EFCC in opposition to the bail application.
Mr Raji recalled that the anti-graft agency had bail to his clients while it was investigating the matter.
“For more than a year ago, they have been investigating them and the EFCC admitted the defendants to bail.
“They (EFCC) released the 3rd defendant’s international passport to him and he travelled to Saudi Arabia and came back.
“The defendants will not run away. The issues are mere allegations,” he argued, urging the judge to grant the defendants bail.
However, in opposition to the defendants’ bail application, EFCC’s lawyer, Kabiru Hussain, said Mr Bello “is a flight risk.”
Mr Hussain drew the court’s attention to the alleged enormous resources in possession of the Kogi governor’s nephew.
“Given the enormous amount of resources at the disposal of the 1st defendant and his influence in the state (Kogi), we urge this Court to refuse him bail,” Mr Hussain urged the court.
He argued that “the defendants have the capacity to jump bail, comprise witnesses and destroy evidence.”
Countering the defence lawyer’s argument that the defendants were on administrative bail, Mr Hussain said, “Now that the defendants have been confronted with the proof of evidence and they now understand the gravity of the issues against them, they are most likely to jump bail.”
