A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted permission to a former governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the 2026 lesser Hajj.
Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order on Thursday, directing the temporary release of Mr Bello’s international passport, which is in the custody of the court.
Bello is standing trial before the court in a case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged misappropriation of funds.
The EFCC is prosecuting him on charges of money laundering amounting to N80.2 billion, which he denied when he was arraigned.
The request to travel was contained in an application dated January 20 and supported by a 24-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Bello.
His lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, told the court that the application was to enable the defendant travel to the Holy Land during the month of Ramadan to perform the lesser Hajj.
Mr Daudu said Bello had not visited the Holy Land in over eight years and wished to undertake the trip for supplication.
Responding, the lead prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, said the prosecution did not oppose the request but would not agree to any adjustment of the trial dates already fixed by the court.
In a ruling, Justice Nwite granted the application and approved the release of Bello’s passport from March 13, for a period of 10 days.
The judge said he had considered the submissions of counsel before granting the request.
The court adjourned proceedings until Friday, January 30, for the continuation of the examination of the seventh prosecution witness.
Earlier, the witness, Olomotane Egoro, a subpoenaed official of Access Bank, told the court that there were cash inflows from local government areas in Kogi State into the accounts of Fazab Business Enterprise and E-Traders International Ltd.
He also testified that several cash withdrawals were made from the accounts.
