ABUJA–The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, granted bail to the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to the tune of N500million with two sureties in the like sum.

The court, in the ruling that was delivered by trial Justice Emeka Nwite, held that the sureties must be owners of landed properties in Abuja.

Aside from directing the sureties to tender the title documents of the properties which must be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, Justice Nwite equally ordered them to swear to an affidavit of means.

According to the court, both the defendant and the sureties must submit their recent passport photographs.

It further ordered the former governor to surrender his international passport and not travel outside the country without permission.

The court held that the defendant should remain at Kuje prison, pending the perfection of the bail conditions.

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It subsequently slated February 24 and 28 for thr commencement of full blown hearing into the 19-count money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against the defendant.

Bello, who piloted the affairs of Kogi state from 2016 to 2024, had before the ruling, pleaded his innocence to his alleged complicity in an N80.2 billion fraud.

Specifically, the EFCC alleged that he used five proxies to acquire choice properties in highbrow areas of Abuja and Dubai.