A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, permission to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the 2026 lesser Hajj.
Justice Emeka Nwite, on Thursday, ordered the temporary release of Bello’s international passport, which is in the custody of the court, to enable him undertake the religious exercise.
Bello is standing trial on charges of alleged money laundering and misappropriation of funds brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The commission is prosecuting him over alleged financial offences amounting to ₦80.2 billion, which he has denied.
In an application dated January 20, Bello sought the court’s approval to travel during the Ramadan period to observe the lesser Hajj. His counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, told the court that the request was for religious purposes and noted that Bello had not visited Saudi Arabia in several years.
The prosecution, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, did not oppose the application but insisted that previously fixed trial dates should remain unchanged.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite approved the release of Bello’s passport from March 13, 2026, for a period of 10 days.
The court adjourned the case to Friday, January 30, for the continuation of trial, including further testimony from a prosecution witness from Access Bank on alleged cash inflows and withdrawals linked to companies connected to the case.
