The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday rejected a request by the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, for the release of his international passport to seek medical treatment in the United Kingdom, citing an unsigned medical report as the basis for the refusal.

Bello, currently facing an N80.2 billion fraud trial brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had filed the application before Justice Emeka Nwite, pleading health grounds and a history of hypertension spanning 15 years. However, the court ruled that the evidence presented was legally insufficient.

Delivering the ruling at the resumed hearing of the money laundering case, Justice Nwite held that Exhibit B, the medical report attached to Bello’s application, lacked probative value as it was not signed by its author.

“An unsigned document has no legal efficacy. It is devoid of probative value and cannot be relied upon by the court,” Justice Nwite ruled.

The judge concluded that the defendant failed to provide sufficient grounds to justify the release of his passport, stating:

“The defendant has failed to place sufficient material before this court to warrant the release of his passport for travel. Consequently, this application is hereby refused.”

Parallel Application Draws EFCC’s Ire

Bello, who is also facing a similar criminal trial before Justice Maryanne Anenih of the FCT High Court, Maitama, had submitted a related application for passport release in that court. However, Justice Anenih dismissed the request as ineffective, pointing out that the passport was not in the FCT court’s custody but in that of the Federal High Court.

The EFCC, in opposing the Federal High Court application, had accused Bello of “forum shopping”, arguing that seeking the same relief in two courts simultaneously amounted to an abuse of judicial process and could result in conflicting decisions.

Justice Nwite, however, disagreed with that stance.

“This court and the FCT High Court are courts of coordinate jurisdiction,” he said, affirming that the application did not constitute abuse, especially as the defendant was granted bail by both courts in December 2024.

Sureties Argument Dismissed

The EFCC had also challenged the application on the grounds that Bello’s sureties had not been notified. But the court dismissed that argument, holding that the sureties were not necessary parties to the motion.

“The counsel to the complainant did not cite any section of the law that says sureties should be notified or made parties to a motion on notice,” Justice Nwite ruled.

Trial Resumes in October

With the passport request denied, Bello will remain in Nigeria as his trial continues. The case was adjourned to October 7, 10, and November 10 and 11, 2025, for the continuation of proceedings.

Bello’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Joseph Daudu, had argued that the court should exercise its discretion in the interest of their client’s health, submitting two exhibits to support the motion both of which the court found inadequate.

The former governor, who served two terms as Kogi State’s chief executive, is battling allegations of massive financial misconduct leveled against him by Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency. He has consistently denied the charges.