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Money Laundering: Yahaya Bello To Spend Christmas, New Year In Prison

BySodiq Lawal

PublishedDecember 10, 2024

The former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, will spend the festive season in prison as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has remanded him in Kuje Correctional Centre.

This comes after the court denied his bail application in a case involving alleged money laundering amounting to N110 billion.

In a ruling, presiding judge Maryann Anenih stated that the bail application filed by Bello was premature.

According to the judge, the application was submitted on November 22, four days before the ex-governor’s arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on November 26.

Anenih pointed out that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2025 stipulates that bail applications should only be filed once a defendant has been arrested, detained, or formally arraigned.

Bello, alongside co-defendants Umar Shoaib Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, was arraigned before the FCT Court on November 27, facing a 16-count charge related to alleged money laundering activities. All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

While Bello remains in custody, his co-defendants, Oricha and Hudu, were granted bail by the court. Each of them was granted bail in the sum of N300 million, with the condition that they provide two sureties possessing property in the prestigious Maitama district of the FCT.

The court also directed the defendants to deposit their passports with the court registrar to prevent flight risk.

The court has adjourned the matter for further hearing to January 29 and 30, and February 25 and 27, 2024. With the case set to continue in the new year, Bello will remain in Kuje Correctional Centre, marking a Christmas and New Year spent behind bars.

Sodiq Lawal

Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.