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₦80.2bn Fraud: Court Grants Yahaya Bello ₦500m Bail
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, granted the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like sum.
This was after the former governor had pleaded not guilty to the 19-count charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
He is facing an alleged money laundering trial to the tune of N80bn but pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
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 defendant’s counsel, led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, did not object, and Justice Emeka Nwite accordingly granted the request.
After the defendant had taken his plea, Daudu, SAN, 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 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 should not have presented himself for arraignment. That episode is gone, and things are clearer now,” the counsel stated.
While moving an application for bail, he 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,” the defendant’s counsel said.
He commended the prosecution counsel, saying he had conducted himself in the best tradition because the matter was not a do-or-die one.
He said they had agreed that the counsels would not stress his lordship over the issue of bail.
The prosecution counsel concurred.
Pinheiro, SAN, said, “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 former president of NBA. I also confirm that we have been engaging in a series of discussions to ease the burden on your lordship in compliance with Rule 26 of the 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, and EFCC is a professional commission, a prosecutorial, and not prosecutorial commission,” he said.
He added, “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.”
The prosecution counsel said though they had filed a counter-affidavit, they would not oppose the bail, going by the assurances of the learned SAN.
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 this.
“Based on the account exhibited by learned counsel for the defendant, which was exhibited and supported by prosecution counsel, I am minded to change my earlier stand on this matter.”
He granted the defendant N500 million bail with two sureties.
“Sureties must be landed property owners within the jurisdiction of this court. They must swear to affidavits of means. The title deeds of properties to be verified by the court registrar,” he said.
The defendant was also asked to submit his international passport, and he would remain at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
It will be recalled that the ex-governor was earlier remanded in a fresh N110bn charge by EFCC, pending his bail application.
Meanwhile, the judge has fixed February 24, 2025, for hearing into the matter.
News
Wike Begins 6-Council “Thank-You” Tour In FCT
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has begun a thank-you visit to the six area councils of the territory, over the outcome of the Feb. 21 area council elections in the FCT.
The visits, which began with Bwari Area Council on Tuesday, according to the Minister, is to thank the people for keeping to their promises to support President Bola Tinubu’s candidates in the election.
“So, on behalf of Mr President, let me thank you all for fulfilling the promise you made, that you will support the candidates that are supporting him to win.
“Mr President said I should thank you and that he is not going to take this show of love for granted. He will also fulfill his own part, and that will be done through me.
“Some people don’t understand when we say agreement—what is agreement? When we agree on something, you do your own part, I do my own. That means we have fulfilled the agreement,” he said.
The Minister said that the time has come for politicians to keep to their promises, stressing that under Tinubu’s administration “we will give Bwari the necessary support”.
He promised to work closely with the council’s Chairman-elect, Mr Joshua Ishaku saying, “anything you ask through Joshua, consider it done”.
He thanked the traditional leaders in the area and promised to do everything possible to give them their due honour and respect.
In his remarks, Ishaku thanked Wike for the visit and for the good job he was doing for Tinubu.
Describing Wike as a “humble father”, Ishaku assured the Minister that Bwari Area Council would leave no stone unturned in supporting the restoration of the Renewed Hope Agenda in 2027.
“As you assured us yourself, we can see, we can feel and we can touch the developmental strides you have recorded just within two years of your assumption into office.
“What more can we say? What more can we ask for? This is indeed what governance is all about,” Ishaku said.
News
MDCN Panel Suspends Euracare Director, Two Doctors After Establishing Negligence In Death Of Chimamanda’s Toddler
The Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigation Panel has invoked its order of suspension against the Medical Director of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Dr. Tunde Majekodunmi, and two others, after establishing a prima facie case of medical negligence against them in the management of the 21-month old son of renowned writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nkanu Adichie-Esege.
Nkanu passed away on January 7, 2026, after receiving care at Atlantis Hospital and undergoing medical procedures at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos.
Channels TV reports that apart from the Medical Director at Euracare, the panel also suspended the anesthesiologist at the same hospital, Dr. Titus Ogundare, as well as the Chief Medical Officer at Atlantis Pediatric Hospital, Dr. Atinuke Uwajeh.
In a statement signed by its secretary, Dr. Enejo Abdu, the panel mentioned that the trio are suspended from medical practice in Nigeria pending the determination of their case by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.
The panel also stated that there is a prima facie case of misconduct in a professional respect against 10 other doctors. They are Dr. Adeseye Akinsete, Dr. Chidinma Ohagwu, Dr. Anthony Ajeh, Dr. Amarachi Bayo, and Dr. Nkechi Peji. Others are Dr. Olaoye Oludare, Dr. Agaja Oyinkansola, Dr. Patricia Akintan, Dr. Babatunde Bamgboye, and Dr. Raji Faidat.
The panel, which also cleared 8 other doctors, reached these decisions after considering the complaint against all 21 doctors and reviewing their counter-affidavits, including their oral depositions on oath.
The panel concluded its investigation at its 25th session held at Excel Hotel & Resort in Abuja on Feb 17th & 18th, 2026,
The 21-month-old child, Nkanu Adichie-Esege, was initially admitted to Atlantis Hospital in Lagos for what was described as a worsening but initially mild illness.
While arrangements were being made to transfer him to Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States, Atlantis referred him to Euracare for pre-flight diagnostic procedures, including an MRI, lumbar puncture, and insertion of a central line.
However, the child passed following the procedures.
His parents have alleged medical negligence and professional misconduct in connection with his death.
News
DSS Detains Five Airport Officers Over El-Rufai Security Breach
Following a joint investigation into a security breach at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, five security officers have been arrested.
The arrests are coming weeks after security operatives attempted to arrest El-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on February 12, 2026, shortly after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt, aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877.
It was gathered that suspects and are set to face prosecution.
The arrests followed a joint investigation conducted by the Department of State Services, DSS, the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, and the Federal Ministry of Aviation.
Those detained include ASP Ayuba Yakubu of the Nigeria Police Force, Murtala Inuwa of the DSS, Najeeb Murtala of the Immigration Service, and Aviation Security personnel Musa Adamu and Salihu Victor.
According to AIT, investigators disclosed that the suspects allegedly admitted to receiving bribes to grant unauthorised access to restricted sections of the airport and to interfere with lawful security procedures.
Authorities described the development as a grave insider breach of critical national infrastructure.
The suspects have since been transferred to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC) for prosecution.
Meanwhile, additional Immigration and Customs personnel who were found to have misused their official uniforms to facilitate unauthorised access but were not deemed criminally liable will face internal disciplinary measures.
According to the authorities, the action reflects zero-tolerance to internal compromise within Nigeria’s aviation security system.
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