Yahaya Bello Begs Court To Treat Hypertension Abroad As EFCC Tells Him To Use “Ultra-Modern Hospitals” He Claimed He Built In Kogi

FCT, ABUJA, NIGERIA – Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has appealed to the Federal High Court in Abuja to grant him permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Bello cited hypertension and hypercalcemia as the basis for his request, claiming he needed better medical attention than what is currently available locally.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), however, strongly opposed the application.

The Commission’s lead prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), told the court that Bello’s motion was an abuse of court process.

Pinheiro argued that the former governor failed to demonstrate that his medical conditions were life-threatening or required treatment outside Nigeria.

Pinheiro further contended that Nigeria is equipped with adequate medical facilities to treat hypertension and hypercalcemia.

He referenced Yahaya Bello’s own public claims of building ultra-modern hospitals during his tenure in Kogi State.

“This defendant insisted that the hospitals were built to curb medical tourism,” Pinheiro said, questioning why Bello would now avoid using those very institutions.

The EFCC also dismissed the credibility of the medical report submitted by Bello. According to Pinheiro, the report failed to include the qualifications of the doctor who signed it, raising further doubts about its validity.

Raising concerns about flight risk, Pinheiro revealed that Bello had been placed on Interpol’s red list. He warned the court that allowing Bello to travel abroad could jeopardize the ongoing trial.

“He doesn’t know what is awaiting him there. He can be Hushpuppied to the US or UAE. That is a risk because it will affect this trial,” the EFCC counsel cautioned, referencing the case of Ramon “Hushpuppi” Abbas, a Nigerian fraudster extradited to the U.S.

Pinheiro also pointed out a procedural flaw in Bello’s application. He said the former governor failed to inform his sureties of his plan to travel. Furthermore, he accused Bello of filing a similar application before a different high court in Abuja, where he is facing separate charges, implying an attempt at forum shopping to gain favorable judgment.