An FCT High Court has ordered the remand of former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pending the ruling on his bail.
Justice Maryanne Aninih fixed December 10 for ruling on the bail application of Bello and two others who are facing money laundering charges.
The remand followed the former governor’s and the two defendants’ plea of not guilty to the 16-count charge preferred against them by the EFCC after the former had reportedly submitted himself to the anti-graft agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
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Bello and two former officials of the Kogi State government-Abdulsalami Hudu and Umar Oricha – were alleged to have conspired to use state government funds to acquire properties in high-brow areas within the FCT and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, worth N110.4 billion.
Arguing the bail application, counsel to Bello, Joseph Daudu (SAN), requested the court to release him on bail as contained in the application dated November 22, 2024, as the defendant was innocent until proven guilty, adding that the offence is ordinarily bailable.
He submitted further that by honouring the public summons, “the appearance of the defendant in court today shows he has respect for the law.”
However, EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), opposed the application, saying it was incompetent having expired since October when it was filed earlier.
Pinheiro sought to move for the immediate commencement of trial and was ready to call its first witness.
Opposing the move to commence trial, Daudu said his office was only served the charge sheet at 11 pm on November 26 and that he would need time to prepare his client.
He added that some of the issues raised in the prosecution’s affidavit border on the court’s jurisdiction, which would need to be resolved before the trial commences.
After the arguments, Maryann Anenih, the trial judge, adjourned the ruling on the bail application until December 10, and ordered that the three defendants remain in EFCC custody.
There are indications that the EFCC will arraign former Governor Yahaya Bello before a Federal High Court in Abuja today on a 19-count charge related to money laundering amounting to N82 billion during his tenure.
The court, presided by Justice Emeka Nwite, had previously been adjourned to January 21, 2025, to rule on whether to try the matter in absentia. However, it is now expected that the court will bring the hearing forward.
A long-drawn arraignment
The arraignment brings to a close, months of controversy in the effort to probe the ex-governor over his tenure in office between 2016 and 2024.
In a fundamental rights ruling, Justice Isah Abdullahi Jamil of the Kogi State High Court barred the EFCC from arraigning or prosecuting the former governor.
However, the EFCC appealed the order and the Court of Appeal in Abuja on August 20 overruled the Kogi State High Court and declared that, “It is very clear that the purpose of the case instituted at the trial court was to shield the respondent Yahaya Bello from his criminal trial.”
On September 26, the EFCC filed a fresh 16-count charge against Bello before the FCT High Court over alleged N110 billion fraud.
On October 3, the presiding judge, Aninihh issued a public summons against Bello to be produced in court within 30 days.
On October 30, Justice Nwite of the Federal High Court adjourned ruling on Bello’s arraignment until January 21, 2025, following defence counsel, Michael Adoyi’s request to await the suit filed by the Kogi State government at the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court on November 15 dismissed the suit filed by the Kogi State government and 18 others seeking to nullify the establishment law for the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies.
The judgement paved the way for Bello’s arraignment.
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