Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that the charges on alleged N80 billion fraud filed by the Federal Government against former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello, be served through his lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed.
The Judge issued the order on Tuesday while delivering a ruling in an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for substituted service on Bello.
Lead counsel to the anti-graft agency, Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, argued the application.
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Although Bello’s lawyer Abdulwahab Mohammed initially declined to accept the charges and proof of evidence, he was compelled to do so by Justice Nwite.
The Judge rejected the plea by the senior lawyer that a junior lawyer in his team, AI Musa be the one to accept the charges on behalf of the former governor.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Yahaya Bello was again not in court but represented by his lawyer.
Justice Nwite had last week issued a bench warrant against Bello following an application to that effect by EFCC.
The EFCC subsequently declared the former governor wanted for his persistent absence in court and evading the criminal charges on him.