On Thursday, the Federal Capital Territory High Court granted bail to Yahaya Bello, the immediate former Governor of Kogi State, in the amount of N500 million with two sureties in the same sum.
On December 10, Justice Maryann Anenih denied the ex-governor’s bail application, claiming it was filed prematurely.
While delivering the initial decision, she stated that because the first defendant was neither in prison or in court at the time, the application was ineffective.
There was, however, room for the governor’s lawyers to file a fresh bail application and apply for a hearing date.
The former governor is facing an alleged money laundering trial involving N110 billion, along with two others.
He had pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
When the case was called for hearing on Thursday, counsel for the former governor, Joseph Daudu, SAN, informed the court that the defence counsels had filed a further affidavit in response to the counter-affidavit filed and served by the prosecution counsels.
He did, however, want to withdraw the further affidavit, noting, “We do not want to make the matter contentious.”
The prosecution lawyer, Olukayode Enitan, SAN, made no objection.
As a result, the court allowed the withdrawal application while rejecting the further affidavit.
Daudu, SAN, also informed the court that conversations had taken place with the leader of the prosecution counsels, which resulted in an agreement to guarantee a quick trial.
In light of this understanding, Daudu requested the court to grant his bail plea.
He further urged that if the court mercifully granted the defendant bail, it reassessed the bail terms for the first, second, and third accused.
He requested the court to widen the scope of properties that might be used as bail sureties to include locations across the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, rather than limiting them solely to Maitama.
The prosecution counsel, Olukayode Enitan, SAN, acknowledged that Daudu, SAN, had been in talks with the prosecution team.
