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The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a request by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to temporarily retrieve his international passport in order to travel overseas for medical care.
During a hearing on Monday, July 21, Justice Emeka Nwite ruled against the application, stating that the medical report submitted by Bello’s legal team lacked credibility. The report, identified as Exhibit B, was not signed by the doctor who purportedly authored it—rendering it legally invalid.
Bello’s legal counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Joseph Daudu, had argued that his client needed urgent medical attention in the United Kingdom due to a long-standing history of hypertension. Daudu submitted Exhibits A and B to support the request, claiming they offered expert evidence of Bello’s health condition.
However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting Bello on money laundering charges, opposed the motion. Lead prosecutor Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, argued that the request was an abuse of court process. He noted that similar applications had already been submitted before the FCT High Court, and pointed out that Bello’s sureties had not been informed of the new motion—making it procedurally defective.
Justice Nwite, however, dismissed the EFCC’s abuse of process argument, saying the Commission failed to cite any legal provision requiring sureties to be notified in such circumstances. He also clarified that since both the Federal High Court and FCT High Court are courts of coordinate jurisdiction, Bello was within his rights to seek leave from either court.
But on the main issue of the medical report, the court found the application lacking. “Exhibit B, which is the medical report provided by a doctor, was not signed by its maker, and as such, lacked any legal efficacy,” the judge ruled. “The defendant has failed to place sufficient material before this court to justify the release of his passport. Consequently, this application is hereby refused.”
Bello remains on trial for alleged money laundering and other related charges filed by the EFCC.
