By kawaekwune Jeffrey
The immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has failed to at court proceedings for his arraignment on a 19-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday.
This development was sequel to the resumption of court proceedings on Wednesday. At the resumed hearing, the legal counsel to the erstwhile Kogi state governor, A.M. Adoyi, informed the court that his client had entered an appeal before the Supreme Court to overturn an arrest warrant issued against him on April 17.
He argued that the appeal must be addressed before further legal action can be taken.
He said: “The most appropriate thing to do is to await the decision of the Supreme Court in the aforesaid appeal before taking any step for arraignment so as not to render the appellant’s appeal null or to pull the rug out of the feet of the Supreme Court.”
However, Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN) who is the legal counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) criticized the defendant’s approach, stating: “They are turning this court into a place for entertainment.” He argued further that despite the Court of Appeal’s ruling, Bello has consistently taken steps that violated the court’s directive.
Following arguments from both sides, the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the arraignment of the former Governor to October 30, 2024
Nwite ruled: “With the submissions made by counsel, I will adjourn the matter for ruling and arraignment on Oct. 30.”
The New Diplomat reports that various attempts by the EFCC to arraign Bello on an alleged N80.2bn fraud case have been unfruitful so far as the former governor has refused to appear before the court.
It would be recalled that the EFCC had declared Bello wanted in connection with an alleged case of money laundering to the tune of N80.2bn. The anti-graft agency had declared Bello wanted after several unsuccessful attempts to arrest him in Abuja.
The anti-graft agency had accused Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu (still at large) of conspiring in February 2016 to convert N80,246,470,088.88, which was allegedly obtained through a criminal breach of trust, in violation of Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.
