Why court denied Yahaya Bello’s medical travel request

A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected an application by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, seeking the release of his international passport to enable him to travel overseas for medical treatment.

In a ruling delivered on Monday, Justice Emeka Nwite held that the medical report submitted to support the request was unsigned, rendering it inadmissible in law.

Bello is currently standing trial on money laundering charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Bello, facing charges of alleged N80.2bn fraud before Justice Nwite, had applied for the release of his travel document to enable him to seek medical attention in the United Kingdom.

He is also standing trial on similar charges before Justice Maryanne Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama.

While delivering the ruling, Justice Nwite dismissed arguments by the prosecution that the application was an abuse of the court process.

He noted that the application did not violate any legal procedure, as it was properly brought before the court.

The former governor’s counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), had argued that his client had been battling hypertension for the past 15 years and required urgent medical attention.

He tendered two documents, Exhibits A and B, purportedly expert reports on Bello’s health status, urging the court to exercise its discretion in favour of granting the travel request.

However, the judge ruled that Exhibit B, the key medical report, was legally worthless because it was not signed by the medical professional who authored it.

A document not signed by its maker has no legal weight. Exhibit B is devoid of probative value and cannot be relied upon by this court,” Nwite ruled.

“The defendant has failed to present sufficient material to justify the release of his passport,” the court held.

On the issue of whether the defendant’s sureties should have been informed before the application was filed, the judge disagreed with the EFCC’s position.

“The matter before the court is between Yahaya Bello and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not between the sureties and the state,” Nwite held.

The prosecution did not cite any legal provision, either local or international, requiring sureties to be made parties to such an application,” he said.

He also disagreed with the EFCC’s claim that the application amounted to an abuse of court process, noting that both this court and the FCT High Court, where Bello is also facing charges, are courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

“While the FCT High Court ordered that the applicant must seek leave before travelling, the instant application aligns with that directive. Therefore, it does not constitute an abuse of process,” he said.

Nwite held that due to the lack of a valid medical report, the court had no basis to grant the application.

“Consequently, this application is hereby refused,” he said.

The matter was adjourned to October 7 and 10, and November 10 and 11, 2025, for continuation of the trial.