“E Won Run Go Enjoy Honeymoon” — Nigerians React as Court Bars Yahaya Bello from Travelling Abroad Over Hypertension Claim

“E Won Run Go Enjoy Honeymoon” — Nigerians React as Court Bars Yahaya Bello from Travelling Abroad Over Hypertension Claim

 

 

Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has been barred by the Federal High Court in Abuja from travelling abroad to seek medical treatment for hypertension, sparking a flurry of reactions from Nigerians online.

 

The ex-governor had approached the court seeking the release of his passport to enable him to travel to the United Kingdom for what he described as urgent medical care due to his long-standing battle with hypertension.

 

However, Justice Emeka Nwite dismissed the application, citing the lack of a valid, signed medical report to back the claim.

 

In his ruling on Monday, Justice Nwite held that the unsigned medical document submitted by Mr Bello’s legal team was inadmissible and carried no probative value.

 

“An unsigned document is worthless in the eyes of the law,” the judge ruled. “The defendant has failed to place sufficient material before this court to justify the release of his passport.”

 

 

The decision came just days after news emerged that Mr Bello had taken a fourth wife, triggering a wave of social media backlash. Many Nigerians, reacting to the ruling, accused the former governor of attempting to flee the country under the guise of a medical emergency, with some sarcastically suggesting he simply wanted to enjoy his honeymoon abroad.

 

“E won run go enjoy honeymoon,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), echoing a sentiment shared widely online.

 

Mr Bello’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu, had argued that his client has been managing hypertension for over 15 years and presented medical exhibits to support the request. He maintained that there was no abuse of the court process and urged the court to grant the application based on humanitarian grounds.

 

However, the prosecution, led by EFCC counsel Kemi Pinheiro, argued that the motion was both technically flawed and duplicative, given that a similar request was already before the FCT High Court. Pinheiro also pointed out that the sureties listed in the original bail terms were not notified of the travel request, making the application incompetent.

 

Justice Nwite disagreed on the point of abuse of process but stood firm on the legal insufficiency of the medical evidence presented.

 

“The motion does not constitute an abuse of court process, as both this court and the FCT High Court are courts of coordinate jurisdiction,” the judge noted. “However, the unsigned Exhibit B lacks legal weight and cannot support the application.”

 

The court adjourned the matter to October 7, October 10, November 10, and November 11 for the continuation of trial proceedings related to corruption allegations brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

 

Mr Bello has been facing multiple charges from the EFCC, including allegations of financial misconduct during his tenure as governor. His latest bid to travel abroad has now added another layer of scrutiny to his already controversial public profile.