Court Grants Yahaya Bello Permission to Travel to Mecca for Lesser Hajj During Ramadan

The Federal High Court in Abuja granted former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello permission to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the lesser Hajj during the last 10 days of Ramadan. The court, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, approved the application made by Bello's lawyer, Joseph Daudu SAN.

The motion sought the temporary release of Bello's international passport to enable his travel. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not oppose the application.

Bello, who has not traveled outside Nigeria in the last eight years, expressed his intention to spend the last 10 days of Ramadan in Mecca to observe prayers. The court granted the request, allowing Bello to travel to the holy land from February 18 to March 19.

The defense counsel clarified that Bello's love for spending the entire Ramadan in Mecca was the reason for the application. The trial was adjourned until January 30.