By joshua 
Federal High Court Grants Yahaya Bello Permission to Travel for Pilgrimage.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, permission to travel outside the country for a religious pilgrimage.
The approval was given on Thursday, January 29, 2026, by Justice Emeka Nwite, following an application filed by Bello’s legal team seeking temporary release of his international passport.
The court allowed the former governor to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to observe the lesser Hajj (Umrah) during the last ten days of Ramadan. The judge ruled that the trip must be strictly time-bound and should not interfere with the ongoing trial.
Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting Bello over alleged financial crimes, did not oppose the application.
Justice Nwite emphasized that Bello must return as scheduled to continue facing the charges, and the matter was adjourned for further proceedings.