A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned the case of money laundering against former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello to October 30, 2024.
The presiding judge in the case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Emeka Nwite, adjourned the matter as the ex governor has headed to the Supreme Court to contest a warrant of arrest against him issued by the same judge on April 17.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, Bello’s counsel, Ameh Adoyi, told the court that the issue of arraignment of the former governor is already the subject matter of an appeal entered by his party at the apex court. He then, prayed the court to await the decision of the upper court before moving on with the hearing on the money laundering charges.
Kemi Pinheiro, counsel for the EFCC, in reaction argued that the defense team is turning the court to place for entertainment.
But the court adjourned further hearings to October to give room for the pending appeal at the Supreme Court.
The EFCC has been prosecuting Bello though in absential over allegations of money laundering to the tune of N80 billion, an act said to have been committed during his tenure as governor of the North Central state between 2016 and 2024.
Mr Bello presented himself to the anti-corruption agency on Wednesday last week accompanied by his successor, Usman Ododo, at the commission’s Abuja headquarters but the EFCC turned him back without interrogating him.
The commission later dispatched a team to arrest the former governor at the Kogi State Government Lodge in Abuja which resulted in an armed confrontation between the agents of the Commission and security operatives at the lodge. The attempt failed.
Mr Bello has again disappeared after that ridiculous scene over a week ago.
