The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has rejected the bail application submitted by Yahaya Bello, the former Governor of Kogi State, in a ruling made earlier this week.
Justice Maryann, who presided over the case, struck out the bail request on Tuesday morning, citing procedural grounds. According to the court, the application was filed prematurely, as it was submitted before the former governor had been officially taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The bail application was filed on November 22, 2024, however, Yahaya Bello was not detained by the EFCC until four days later, on November 26, 2024. Following his arrest, the former governor was arraigned before the court the next day, November 27, 2024. Because the application was made before his detention, the court ruled that it could not be considered, as it was not in line with the appropriate legal procedures for granting bail once the individual is in custody.
The ruling has added another layer to the ongoing legal proceedings against Bello, who is facing charges brought against him by the EFCC. While the rejection of the bail application is a setback for the former governor, it is likely that his legal team will be making further attempts to seek bail in the future, depending on the progress of the case.
