Abuja, Nigeria – Di former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, don carry im issue reach Federal High Court for Abuja as e dey beg dem to release im international passport. E wan travel go abroad for medical check-up (no be small matter o, but wetin person go do?).
Last Friday, di court hearing no go sweet as di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) dey prosecute Bello for alleged money laundering wey dey reach ₦80.2 billion. As di case approach, im lead counsel, J.B. Daudu (SAN), don file application to retrieve di passport because of di urgent medical needs wey Bello need to attend to (like na him body dem dey carry go hospital). Di prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), no gree, talk say dem oppose di application and even serve dem counter-affidavit say na abuse of court process.
Daudu still dey shine his eyes chop as e counter argue say di prosecution na dem dey abuse court process (whether dem sabi wetin dem dey talk?) Omo, he sharp like razor, he yan say di application na to help him client wey dey in pressing need during di court vacation. After eight years wey di man no travel, e need to address some serious health matter (abi na health matter wey no dey important?).
Meanwhile, dem bring witness, Aryan Mashelia Bata, wey be compliance officer wit Zenith Bank. E come deny say Bello security aides harass am (some people just dey find wahala). Di EFCC don raise alarm say di witness dey harassed, but di man come talk say, “I no experience any hassle at all. I just get issue to find seat no be say dem dey vex me.” Na serious wahala dis one.
Justice Emeka Nwite dey mind di matter well, as e ask for better investigation on di harassment wahala. Bata later confirm during cross-examination say Bello no dey listed as signatory or beneficiary to any of di account wey dem submit as evidence (dis matter just dey twist like jollof rice!).
Di judge no gree hear wetin di EFCC dey talk, as e tell dem say di witness sabi wetin im dey talk. As di case dey go, di prosecution dey object some questions wey di defence wan ask, but Nwite no take am lightly as he remind dem say di witness na expert for im own side. Justice Nwite don fix di case to continue for July 3 and 4, and e go talk di final judgement for di travel application on July 21.
