By Ayomide Otitoju
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has dismissed an application by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, seeking the release of his international passport to enable him to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Ruling on the application, Justice Nwite held that the medical report attached to Bello’s request lacked legal validity, as it was not signed by its author. The court noted that unsigned documents carry no legal weight and are devoid of probative value.
Bello’s counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), had argued that the defendant, a known hypertensive patient for over 15 years, required urgent medical attention in the United Kingdom. He supported the application with Exhibits A and B, which he described as expert assessments of Bello’s condition.
While the judge disagreed with the prosecution’s claim that the application amounted to an abuse of court process, he maintained that the absence of a signed medical report rendered the application unsubstantiated.
On the issue raised by the prosecution regarding the failure to notify the defendant’s sureties, Justice Nwite ruled that such notice was not mandatory, as the case involved the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not the sureties.
“The counsel to the complainant did not cite any law, local or international, mandating that sureties be joined in such an application,” he noted.
The judge concluded that the court had not been presented with sufficient material to warrant the release of Bello’s passport.
Accordingly, the application was denied, and the case was adjourned to October 7, 10, and November 10, 11, 2025, for continuation of trial.
