The Federal High Court in Abuja has declined a request by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to release his international passport for overseas medical treatment.
Delivering the ruling on Monday, July 21, 2025, Justice Emeka Nwite held that the medical report submitted to support the application was not signed by its author, rendering it legally invalid.
Bello, who is facing money laundering charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had asked the court to temporarily release his passport to allow him travel to the UK for treatment of long-standing hypertension. His lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN, argued that the medical evidence presented was sufficient.
However, the prosecution, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, opposed the application, claiming it was an abuse of court process since similar relief had already been sought at the FCT High Court, and that Bello’s sureties were not notified.
Justice Nwite disagreed with that line of argument, stating that the application did not amount to abuse of process and that there was no legal requirement cited mandating the involvement of sureties in such a motion.
Still, the court ruled that the unsigned medical report lacked probative value. “Exhibit B, which is the medical report, was not signed by its maker and therefore carries no legal weight,” the judge said. “The defendant has failed to provide sufficient grounds for the release of his passport. The application is hereby refused.”
The trial was adjourned to October 7, October 10, November 10, and November 11 for continuation.