Court Releases Yahaya Bello’s Passport for Ramadan Umrah

 A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, permission to travel abroad for religious purposes.

In granting the application, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered the temporary release of Bello’s international passport, which had been in the custody of the court.

Bello is currently facing trial over alleged misappropriation of public funds in a case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The application seeking permission to travel was personally sworn to by the former governor and moved by his lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN. Daudu told the court that the request was to allow his client travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser Hajj (Umrah) during the month of Ramadan.

The senior advocate added that Bello had not visited the Holy Land in over eight years and wished to undertake the pilgrimage to pray for divine intervention over the charges instituted against him by the EFCC.

Responding, the lead prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that the EFCC did not oppose the travel request but insisted that the dates already fixed for the continuation of trial must remain unchanged.

In a brief ruling, Justice Nwite approved the application and ordered that Bello’s passport be released to him from March 13, 2026, for a period of 10 days.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter until Friday, January 30, for the continuation of trial, specifically for the examination of the seventh prosecution witness.

Earlier in his testimony, the witness, Olomotane Egoro, an official of Access Bank who appeared under subpoena, told the court that funds from several local government areas in Kogi State were paid into accounts belonging to Fazab Business Enterprise and E-Traders International Ltd. He further testified that multiple cash withdrawals were made from the said accounts.

The EFCC is prosecuting Bello on allegations of money laundering involving N80.2 billion, charges which the former governor denied upon his arraignment.