Justice Emeka Nwite has ruled that the medical report submitted to support Yahaya Bello’s request for the release of his travel document to seek medical attention in the United Kingdom was unsigned, rendering it inadmissible in law. Bello is currently standing trial on money laundering charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The former governor’s counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), had argued that Bello had been battling hypertension for 15 years and required urgent medical attention. However, the judge ruled that Exhibit B, the key medical report, was legally worthless because it was not signed by the medical professional who authored it.

The court held that the defendant has failed to present sufficient material to justify the release of his passport. Nwite disagreed with the EFCC’s position on whether the defendant’s sureties should have been informed before the application was filed, noting that both this court and the FCT High Court, where Bello is also facing charges, are courts of coordinate jurisdiction. He stated that the instant application aligns with that directive, therefore, it does not constitute an abuse of process.

Nwite concluded that due to the lack of a valid medical report, the court had no basis to grant the application and refused the application. The matter was adjourned to October 7 and 10, and November 10 and 11, 2025, for continuation of the trial.