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By Correspondent in Abuja.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, granted former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, permission to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to perform the lesser hajj (Umrah) during the last 10 days of Ramadan.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the application after Bello’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, moved a motion seeking the temporary release of his international passports to enable the trip.
Daudu told the court that the application, dated January 19, was filed on January 20 and explained that the motion sought an order permitting Bello to travel to Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj during the Ramadan period, which begins on February 18 and ends on March 19.
According to the senior lawyer, the application also requested the court’s approval for Bello to observe Ramadan prayers in the holy land.
The Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, did not oppose the application.
Earlier, when the court asked Bello to clarify the duration of his intended stay abroad, the former governor said that although he would have loved to spend the entire 30 days of Ramadan in Mecca, he was mindful of his ongoing trial.
Bello told the court that he had not travelled outside Nigeria in the last eight years and intended to spend only the last 10 days of Ramadan in Mecca to offer prayers.
“As stated by my defence counsel, I have not travelled outside this country in the last eight years,” he said.
“I would have loved to spend the whole of Ramadan in Mecca and observe Shittu Shawal immediately after Ramadan, but I do not want to take anything for granted.”
He, therefore, confirmed that he would be spending only the final 10 days of Ramadan in the holy land.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite noted that the prosecution did not oppose the request.
“I have listened to the submissions of learned counsel to the defendant and also observed that the prosecution is not opposing the application,” the judge said.
“Hence, the defendant shall only spend 10 days in the holy land, commencing from March 13,” he ruled.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
