The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) faced a setback on Thursday in its bid to arraign former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello in Court. Naija News reports that the arraignment before a Federal High Court in Abuja was delayed due to his absence.
The EFCC mentioned encountering difficulties while trying to serve the charges to the former governor at his residence yesterday, citing his current protection under an individual with immunity.
The defendant’s legal representative cited an ex parte order restraining EFCC from arresting and prosecuting the former Governor, which EFCC appealed against at the Court of Appeal.
EFCC had intended to arraign Bello, alongside three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The anti-graft agency accuses them of a 19-count charge related to money laundering amounting to N80, 246,470,088.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, and Eighty-Nine Naira, Eighty-Eight Kobo).
The alleged fraud case is marked FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024 and was filed on March 6, 2024, by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Kemi Pinheiro.
Recall that on Wednesday, EFCC raided the Abuja residence of Bello in an attempt to arrest the former Kogi Governor.
However, another High Court in Lokoja restrained EFCC from arresting, detaining, and prosecuting Bello unless authorized by the court.
The Abuja Court on Thursday decided to postpone the ruling on the charge delivery to Yahaya Bello and his court appearance until the 23rd of May.
