By Helen Udo,Abuja -NIGERIA.
The high court of federal capital territory sitting in Abuja, has struck out an application filed by the former Kogi state governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, for the release of his passport to enable him travel to the united kingdom for medical treatment.
The economic and financial crimes commission, EFFC, is prosecuting Bello alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha an fc’ccc”xxx,d Adulsalami Hudu before justice Maryanne Anineh on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of more than one hundred and ten billion naira.
At the last sitting, Bello, through his counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, had made an application, praying for a temporary release of his passport to enable him attend a scheduled medical appointment in the united kingdom, with an undertaking to return the passport to the court upon his return.
In his response to the application, prosecution counsel, Chukwudi Enebeli, SAN, however, urged the court to refuse the request, arguing that the application was aimed at altering the bail conditions the court imposed on the defendant, which required him to deposit his passport with the court.
He further argued that the defendant’s sureties ought to have been put on notice to confirm their continued willingness or not to remain as sureties if the defendant was permitted to travel out of the country.
In the ruling, justice Anineh held that the court lacked jurisdiction to grant the application since the defendant’s passport was not held by her court.
A review of the court’s record revealed that the applicant had previously been ordered to deposit his passport and other travel documents with the registry of the court.
However, upon further inquiry and search conducted by the court, it was discovered that the said passport was not presently in the custody of the court’s registry but with the federal high court.
The case was then adjourned to october 8, 9 and november 13, for continuation of trial.source:NTA
