The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, permission to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser Hajj (Umrah) during the final days of the Ramadan fasting period. The approval allows Bello to spend a strictly limited period of 10 days in Mecca before returning to Nigeria. The former governor is currently facing trial over allegations brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Okay News reports that Bello’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN, told the court that the application was dated January 19 and formally filed on January 20. In his submission before the court, Bello stated that although he would have preferred to remain in Mecca for the entire Ramadan period, he deliberately limited his request out of respect for the court and the ongoing proceedings.