Court denies Yahaya Bello’s bid to Halt arraignment in EFCC’s N80.2bn fraud case

The Federal High Court in Abuja has declined former Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello’s plea to halt proceedings in the alleged N80.2 billion fraud case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Scheduled to appear today before Justice Emeka Nwite, Bello faced multiple previous hearings where his absence was attributed to legal disputes raised by his defense team, particularly involving an appeal process.

Yahaya Adoza Bello and others stand accused of colluding in February 2016 to convert N80,246,470,088.88, allegedly obtained through breach of trust, contravening Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.

Adeola Adedipe (SAN), representing Bello, detailed that following the last hearing on June 13, he was informed by Bello’s lead counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed (SAN), that a letter had been sent to Chief Judge James Tsoho of the Federal High Court, seeking administrative transfer of the case to Lokoja Judicial Division.

In response, EFCC counsel Kemi Pinero (SAN) urged the court to proceed with the arraignment and questioned the whereabouts of Yahaya Bello. Pinero further alleged that Adedipe should face contempt charges for failing to produce Bello as previously assured, accusing the defense of procedural gamesmanship.

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Adedipe subsequently applied to withdraw from the case, citing insults directed at him by the EFCC counsel and claiming the agency’s failure to arrest Bello despite court orders, instead placing blame on the defense for his absence.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned proceedings to rule on the legal submissions, instructing Bello’s legal team to be present. Upon resumption, Abdulwahab argued for a stay of proceedings pending an appeal, asserting that arraignment during an ongoing appeal was inappropriate.

Piniero countered that the defense’s actions were intended to obstruct justice and advocated against suspending proceedings. In his ruling, Justice Nwite acknowledged the court’s discretion in granting stays but emphasized that criminal proceedings should continue despite appeals, based on applicable laws.

He criticized the defense team for unfulfilled promises regarding Bello’s appearance and referred both Adedipe and Abdulwahab to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for potential sanctions, noting their behavior as professional misconduct.

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The judge denied Adedipe’s oral application to withdraw and instructed the defense to submit a formal application against his ruling. The court then scheduled the next hearing for September 25 for Bello’s arraignment.