The immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on Thursday, secured fresh N500million bail from a High Court sitting at Maitama, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The court, in the ruling that was delivered by Justice Maryann Anenih, equally ordered him to provide three sureties in the like sum.
Further reading out the conditions for Bello’s bail, the judge held that the sureties must be responsible citizens who are landowners in any of the listed areas in Abuja – Maitama, Guzape, Apo, Wuse 2 or Asokoro.
More so, the court, aside from directing the former governor to surrender his international traveling documents, held that he should not leave the country without permission.
“The first defendant must not travel without the permission of this court and he shall remain in the Kuje Correctional Facility until the bail conditions are met,” Justice Anenih held.
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Bello, alongside two others, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are facing trial on 16 counts preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of N110.4 billion.
The charge against the defendants, marked: CR/7781, borders on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and possession of unlawfully obtained property.
EFCC alleged that the former governor misused state funds to acquire properties, including No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja (N950 million), No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja (N100 million), and No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja (N920 million).
Other properties the defendants allegedly acquired with funds stolen from the Kogi state treasury, included Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N170 million), Hotel Apartment Community: Burj Khalifa, Dubai (Five Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Dirhams), Block 18, Gwelo Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N60 million), and No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N310.4 million).
Likewise, the defendants were accused of transferring $570,330 and $556,265 to TD Bank, USA, and possessing unlawfully obtained property, including N677.8 million from Bespoque Business Solution Limited.
It will be recalled that the Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier granted the erstwhile governor bail in the sum of N500m with two sureties, in relation to another 19-count charge that borders on alleged N80.2billion fraud.
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