A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, permission to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to observe the final 10 days of Ramadan.
Justice Emeka Nwite approved the request on Thursday after an application was filed by Bello’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), seeking the temporary release of his client’s international passport to enable him perform the lesser hajj (Umrah).
According to the application dated January 19 and filed on January 20, Bello plans to travel between March 13 and March 22, toward the end of the Islamic fasting period, which runs from February 18 to March 19 this year.
Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), informed the court that the prosecution had no objection to the request.
Addressing the court, Bello said he would have preferred to spend the entire month of Ramadan in Mecca but decided to limit his stay in consideration of his ongoing trial. He noted that he had not travelled outside Nigeria in the past eight years.
“I would have loved to spend the whole of Ramadan and observe Shawwal in Mecca, but I do not want to take anyone for granted,” he said, adding that he would only spend the last 10 days of the fasting period in the Holy Land.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite stated that since the prosecution did not oppose the application, there was no basis to deny it. He ruled that Bello would be allowed to spend 10 days in Mecca beginning from March 13.
The court adjourned the case to January 30 for the continuation of the trial.
Bello is currently being prosecuted by the EFCC over alleged financial mismanagement during his tenure as governor of Kogi State.