A Federal High Court in Abuja has refused the former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s application seeking permission to travel abroad for medical treatment. The ruling, delivered on Monday by Justice Emeka Nwite, cited the absence of a valid, signed medical report as a critical flaw in Bello’s application.
Bello, who is currently standing trial over corruption charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had submitted an application requesting the release of his international passport to enable him to seek medical care outside the country. His legal team presented two exhibits, labelled “A” and “B,” which included a medical expert’s report detailing his alleged health conditions.
In the application, Bello’s counsel assured the court that the former governor intended to travel strictly within the court’s vacation period and would return promptly for the continuation of his trial. However, the EFCC pushed back against the request, describing it as an abuse of court process and questioning the urgency and credibility of the health claims.
Prosecuting counsel Kemi Pinheiro argued that the medical conditions cited, hypertension and hypercalcemia, were not life-threatening and could be adequately managed in Nigeria. Pinheiro further noted that the same application had already been filed before another court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where Bello is also facing charges, reinforcing the EFCC’s position that Bello was attempting to manipulate judicial processes.
Despite the EFCC’s objections, Justice Nwite clarified that the application itself did not constitute an abuse of court process since both the Federal High Court and the FCT High Court are courts of coordinate jurisdiction. He noted that Bello had previously been granted bail by both courts, on December 13, 2024, by the Federal High Court and on December 19, 2024, by the FCT High Court.
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Addressing a separate argument raised by the EFCC about the necessity of involving sureties in the travel application, the judge ruled that there is no statutory requirement mandating such inclusion. He emphasized that the prosecution failed to cite any local or international law to back up its position.
However, the turning point in the case came down to the credibility of the medical documentation. Justice Nwite ruled that the unsigned medical report attached to the application lacked legal validity and could not be considered as evidence. He stated that an unsigned document carries no legal weight and, as such, Bello failed to present sufficient grounds for the court to approve the release of his passport.
With this ruling, Yahaya Bello’s hope of travelling abroad for medical reasons has been dashed, at least for now, as the court emphasized that all legal procedures must be strictly adhered to, especially in cases involving high-profile defendants.
