A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed 13 December, 2024 for the arraignment of former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello on 19-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N80.2 billion filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
To this end, Justice Emeka Nwite on Friday, November 29, 2024 directed the court’s Registrar to issue a hearing notice to Bello’s legal team regarding his arraignment.
Yahaya Bello was present in court on Friday, but without his lawyers.
Addressing the court about the former governor’s presence in court, the prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, urged the court to proceed with arraignment of Yahaya Bello.
The lawyer noted that that the defendant’s presence satisfied the legal requirement for his arraignment.
“In view of his physical presence in court and relying on Sections 271-277 and Section 392 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), I respectfully apply that the charge be read to the defendant, his plea be taken, and my lordship adjourn for further proceedings,” he said. He referenced two Court of Appeal rulings, dated August 20, 2024, which upheld a defendant’s presence in court as satisfactory enough for his arraignment and further buttressed his position with the fact that Bello had failed to appear in court on several occasions, prompting an application for his trial in absentia.
In his response, Yahaya Bello informed the court that he had not mobilized his legal team on his arraignment.
The former governor pleaded with the court to give him for time to do so.
Justice Nwite, in a short ruling, adjourned to December 13, 2024 to enable the prosecution to serve the defendant’s counsel with the necessary processes.
In addition, the court directed the registrar to issue a hearing notice to Bello’s legal team and ordered that the former governor be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.
