- Safiu Kehinde
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted former Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, N500 million bail after pleading not guilty of the alleged N80 billion money laundering suit against him.
NPO reported that the embattled ex-Kogi governor appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite at the FCT High Court on Friday.
While pleading not guilty of the 19-count charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bello, according to a post on X, expressed regret over his failure to respond to the court summons and invitations issued to him in connection with allegations against his administration in the state.
He acknowledged that his actions in recent months were not well considered and assured that he would comply with future court summons related to the lawsuits filed by the anti-graft agency against him.
Justice Nwite, however, fixed 24th of February 2025 for his trial over the 19-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering.