The immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, was on Monday denied his request to have his international passport released for medical travel abroad.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, rejected the application, citing a critical flaw: the medical report attached to Bello's request was unsigned by its maker, rendering it without legal weight.
Yahaya Bello is currently facing charges of alleged money laundering filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In his ruling, Justice Nwite acknowledged the arguments put forth by Bello's counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), who asserted that his client has been a known hypertensive patient for approximately 15 years.
Daudu presented Exhibits A and B, which he described as expert reports on the applicant's health status, contending that sufficient material had been presented to persuade the court to exercise its discretion in Bello's favour.
Despite the prosecution's insistence that the application constituted an abuse of court process, Justice Nwite disagreed.
The judge clarified that the application was not an abuse of court process, a point he deliberated upon during his ruling.
He noted that Bello was granted bail by both the Federal High Court on December 13, 2024, and the FCT High Court on December 19, 2024.
Crucially, the FCT High Court's ruling stipulated that the applicant must seek leave of the court for such a request, which Bello had done.
Justice Nwite further affirmed that both courts are of coordinate jurisdiction.
The prosecution had urged the court to dismiss the application, arguing that the reliefs sought were similar to previous attempts and that the motion was technically incompetent because the defendant's sureties had not been informed.
However, Justice Nwite dismissed the argument concerning the sureties. He emphasised that the matter before the court was "Yahaya Bello v. FRN," not a case against the sureties.
He aligned with the defence counsel's argument, ruling that sureties ought not to be included or given notice in such an application, noting that the prosecution failed to cite any local or international law supporting their claim.
The crux of the court's refusal, however, hinged on the admissibility of the medical report.
Justice Nwite held that Exhibit B, the medical report provided by a doctor, lacked the signature of its originator.
"An unsigned document carries no weight in law and is considered worthless. In other words, Exhibit B is devoid of probative value and cannot be relied upon by the Court," the judge declared.
Consequently, Justice Nwite concluded that the defendant had "failed to place sufficient material before this court for his passport to be released for him to travel.
"Consequently, this application is hereby refused," Justice Nwite ruled.
The case has been adjourned for continuation of trial on October 7 and 10, and November 10 and 11, 2025.
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