Federal Capital Territory High Court, yesterday, remanded the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, in Kuje Correctional Centre, pending his bail application.

Justice Maryann Anenih also adjourned the hearing in the N110 billion money laundering case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to January 29 and 30 and February 25 and 27 for hearing.

This followed the earlier refusal to grant a bail application filed by the former governor, saying it was filed prematurely.Justice Anenih, while delivering the ruling, said that having been filed when the first defendant was neither in custody nor before the court, the application was incompetent.

“Consequently, the instant application having been filed, prematurely, is hereby refused,” she said. The former governor is standing trial, along with two others, in an alleged N110 billion money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Reading from the ACJa section, Justice Anenih said the provision provided that a bail application could be made when a defendant had been arrested, detained, arraigned or brought before the court.

Mr Bello had filed an application for his bail on 22nd November but was taken into custody on 26th November and arraigned on 27th November.
In another development, Justice Rahman Oshodi of a Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja has fixed December 12, 2024, for the hearing of an application filed by the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

Emefiele is challenging the court’s jurisdiction to try him on charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Oshodi acknowledged the processes filed by both parties and adjourned the hearing of the application till December 12, 2024.