LunagisthubCourt Grants Yahaya Bello Permission to Travel for Lesser Hajj Amid Ongoing Trial
The 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. This decision comes despite Bello’s ongoing trial over alleged misappropriation of funds, instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) .
Justice Emeka Nwite ordered the temporary release of Bello’s international passport, which has been in the custody of the court, to enable him to undertake the religious pilgrimage. The court approved the release of the passport from March 13, 2026, for a period of 10 days .
Bello is currently standing trial over alleged money laundering amounting to N80.2 billion, allegations which the former governor denied when he was arraigned before the court. The EFCC’s lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that the prosecution did not oppose the request for Bello to travel but would not concede any of the dates already fixed for the continuation of the trial .
The court’s decision to grant Bello permission to travel for the lesser Hajj highlights the balance between the defendant’s religious obligations and the judicial process. The trial will continue on January 30, with the examination of the seventh prosecution witness .
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