Nigeria, July 17 -- The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday declined the former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello's application for the release of his passport to enable him to travel to the United Kingdom for medical reasons.

Turning down the request in a ruling, the judge, Maryanne Anenih, ruled that Mr Bello's passport was not in the court's custody.

She said the court could not give what it did not have, "therefore the application is void, not just premature but preemptive."

"There is nothing to indicate that his international passport is before this court. It is not before this court nor the registrar of the court," she ruled.

Ms Anenih also noted that the court could have considered the submi...