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UPDATED: Court admits ex-Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello to N500m bail
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, admitted the immediate-past Governor of Kogi, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to a N500 million bail with two sureties in the like sum.
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling, ordered that the two sureties must be landed property owners within the jurisdiction the court.
Justice Nwite ordered that the sureties must sworn to affidavit of means which must be verified by the court registrar.
The judge, who ordered the former governor to submit his international passport to the court, directed the sureties to equally submit two copies of their passport photographs each.
He ordered the defendant to be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of his bail.
Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter until Feb. 24, Feb. 28, March 6 and March 7, 2025 for trial.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had, earlier, reported that Bello pleaded not guilty to the 19-count charge brought against him by the EFCC.
The ex-governor is facing an alleged money laundering trial to the tune of N80 billion.
When the case was called for hearing, on Friday, counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, notified the court of the intention of the prosecution to withdraw an earlier application for abridgment of the earlier date fixed for arraignment.
He said the application had been overtaken by events.
The lawyer to the former governor, Joseph Daudu, SAN, did not object and Justice Nwite, accordingly granted the request.
After the defendant had taken his plea, Daudu made clarifications on the reasons he had not been in court during the previous hearings.
“I would like to place on record that for any impression that might have been created that the defendant did not wish to appear before your lordship.
“Coincidentally, the ruling on my lord’s sitting this morning dealt with the issue of jurisdiction.
“What the defendant did was to ask his counsel to challenge the jurisdiction of the court, which got to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
“So it was not a wishful disrespect but he was only trying to defend himself.
“So we all hold your lordship in high esteem. If that impression must have been, he would not have presented himself for arraignment.
“That episode is gone and things are clearer now,” he said.
While moving an application for bail, Daudu assured that the former governor would always be present in court for the trial.
“I am saying this with the highest sense of responsibility that the defendant, a two-term governor of Kogi State, who travelled only two times out of his eight years in service, will always be present in court at all times.
“There should be no apprehension that he will jump bail.
“So we urge your lordship to grant us very reasonable conditions of bail such that he will be able to bear,” he added.
He commended the prosecution counsel, saying he had conducted himself on the best tradition because the matter was not a do-or-die one.
He said they had agreed that the counsel would not stress the court over the issue of bail.
The Prosecution Counsel concurred.
Responding, Pinheiro also thanked Daudu for his assurance.
He confirmed that both lawyers had had discussion on the issue of bail for the defendant.
“I must express my honour to the very eminent lead senior counsel. He is a man of immense stature, not because of his size.
“I do respect him as president of NBA. I also confirm that we have been engaging in series of discussions to ease the burden on your lordship in compliance with Rule 26 of Rules of Professional Ethics.
“I also note that your lordship had delivered not less than five rulings in this matter and it is our aim to ease the work.
“We are prosecutors not persecutors. So EFCC is a professional commission; a prosecutorial and not persecutorial commission,” he said.
“We accept the assurances of the very eminent SAN that the defendant will make himself available subject to your lordship’s discretionary terms that may be imposed.
“By so doing, we will ease the burden on the court.
“Therefore, we will not be opposing the eminent SAN’s submission,” he said.
Pinheiro said though they had filed a counter-affidavit, they would not oppose the bail, going by the assurances of Daudu.
Ruling on the bail application, Justice Nwite said, “I have listened to the submissions of both counsels. It is not in dispute that both counsels have filed applications in respect of the bail application.”
He said the right of the defendant and the prosecution must be taken into account in granting bail.
The judge held that having not opposed the bail plea, he was minded to change his earlier stand on the matter.
NAN reports that the ex-governor was earlier, on Tuesday, remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre by an High Court in Abuja on a fresh N110 billion charge by EFCC, pending his bail application.(NAN)
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.
Bitcoin experienced sharp fluctuations following President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, initially surging to $88,000 before dropping to $82,000.
By April 3, it stabilized around $83,000, with the broader crypto market down over 4%. Major altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also declined over 6%, hitting multi-month lows.
Analysts see the tariff news as reducing market uncertainty, potentially attracting institutional investors.
Despite higher-than-expected rates, experts believe the clarity could help Bitcoin regain momentum toward $90,000. Bitcoin ETFs, led by BlackRock, recorded $218 million in inflows on April 2, reversing prior outflows.
Kraken’s Thomas Perfumo challenged the idea that institutional interest stabilizes crypto, emphasizing that volatility signals demand for a scarce asset.
Some analysts viewed the sell-off as an overreaction to trade policy concerns, highlighting Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value.
With ETFs showing strong demand, Bitcoin’s price may stabilize and rise, though market participants remain cautious, monitoring trade policies and economic conditions.
Violent clashes between pastoralist groups and settled farming communities have long been a challenge in South Sudan.
However, the recent outbreak of violence in the northern Ruweng Administrative Area has further heightened concerns over the nation’s fragile peace. At least 30 people lost their lives after an armed youth group launched a brutal attack on a northern South Sudanese town, according to local officials.
The incident, linked to an escalating cattle raid, saw the town briefly fall under the control of the attackers before security forces regained control.
The violence began when a group of armed youth stole lambs earlier in the week. Security forces quickly intervened, forcing the raiders to retreat. However, instead of dispersing, the group reorganised and launched a more aggressive attack on Abiemnom the following day.
Local Minister of Information, Simon Chol Mialith, confirmed that despite resistance from local youth and security personnel, the town was overrun by the Mayom armed youth. The attack led to significant casualties and destruction before security forces were able to reclaim the town.
On Wednesday, the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF) successfully pushed the attackers out, restoring a semblance of calm. However, the scale of the destruction was already severe, with over 40 individuals injured in addition to the fatalities.
Although reports suggest that some of the deceased were members of the armed groups, official confirmation remains pending.
The attack comes at a time of growing instability in South Sudan, with tensions between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar intensifying. This political rivalry threatens to unravel the delicate 2018 peace agreement that ended the nation’s five-year civil war.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled with continuous unrest. Despite its vast oil resources, the country remains impoverished, with conflicts like these exacerbating economic and social difficulties.