Court Grants EFCC Wanted Man Bello Leave To Attend Hajj In Saudi Arabia Amid Corruption Trial
A former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has been granted permission by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to go to Saudi Arabia to perform the 2026 lesser Hajj in the holy Land.
Justice Emeka Nwite, while granting the permission on Thursday, ordered that the travelling passport of the former governor which has been in the custody of the court be released to him temporarily.
The former Governor is currently standing trial before the court in alleged misappropriation of funds brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.
His application for permission to travel to Saudi for supplication filed on January 20, supported by a 24-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Yahaya Bello himself was moved by his lead counsel Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN.
The Counsel informed the court that the request was to enable the defendant travel to the Holy Land in Saudi Arabia to observe the lesser Hajj during the month of Ramadan
Daudu informed the court that Yahaya Bello had not gone to the holy land for over eight years and said that there is the need for him to go now to pray to God to deliver him from the charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Responding to the application, the lead prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN told the court that, the prosecution will not oppose the request for the defendant to travel to the holy land for the lesser Hajj but will not concede any of the dates set aside for his appearance by the courts
In a short ruling on the application, Justice Emeka Nwite granted the request for the release of Yahaya Bello’s international passport deposited with the Registrar of the court to enable him travel to the holy land for the Ramadan lesser Hajj.
According to the judge, “I have listened to the submissions of counsel in this matter and am minded to grant the application”.
Consequently, the court granted the request, approving the release of the passport from March 13, 2026 for a period of 10 days and thereafter adjourned till Friday, January 30 for the continuation of the examination of the seventh prosecution witness (PW7
Earlier in his testimony, PW7, Mr. Olomotane Egoro, a subpoenaed official from Access Bank told the court of cash inflows from the Local Government Areas of Kogi State into the accounts of Fazab Business Enterprise and E-Traders International Ltd.
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The witness also told the court that several cash withdrawals were made from the accounts.
The EFCC is prosecuting the former governor over alleged money laundering to a tune of N80.2 billion but Yahaya Bello denied the allegations when he was arraigned before the court.
