The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to Yahaya Bello, the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, setting his bail at N500 million.
Presiding over the hearing on Friday, December 13, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered Bello to provide two sureties, each guaranteeing the same amount. The sureties must swear to an affidavit of means and own properties located in Abuja, with the title documents verified by the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar.
As part of the conditions, Bello must surrender his international passport to the court. Additionally, he and his sureties are required to submit two recent passport photographs each.
The court held that the defendant should remain at Kuje prison, pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
It subsequently slated February 24 and 28 for the commencement of a full-blown hearing into the 19-count money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against the defendant.
Bello, who pleaded not guilty to charges of allegedly laundering N80.2 billion, faces a 19-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).