EFCC Lawyer to Yahaya Bello: Present Yourself in Court
POLITICS DIGEST- The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to appear at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday scheduled for his arraignment on money laundering charges.
The ex-governor has been avoiding court since April, stalling on six occasions his arraignment on charges involving alleged diversion of more than N80 billion belonging to the Kogi State Government during his eight-year tenure.
The EFCC wrote Yahaya Bello through his lawyer, Abdulwahab Muhammed, on Tuesday, calling on the defence to produce the former governor in court for Wednesday’s proceedings.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, a copy of the letter bears the acknowledgement stamp dated 24 September of the law firm of Mr Muhammed, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
The EFCC’s letter written and sent on its behalf by the commission’s private prosecutor, Kemi Pinheiro, was also copied to the registrar of the trial judge Emeka Nwite’s court.
It reminded the defence that the trial judge, on 17 July 2024, rescheduled Mr Bello’s arraignment to 25 September.
It also reminded the defence of the two judgements of the Court of Appeal in Abuja delivered on 17 August and 20 August 2024 ordering the former governor to make himself available for arraignment before taking any further steps regarding the matter.
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“We trust you would ensure compliance with the order of their Law Lords of the Court of Appeal,” Mr Pinheiro wrote, while reminding the defence of their series of undertakings to produce Mr Bello in court for arraignment.
“The prosecutor, who wrote the letter on his law firm Pinheiro LP’s letterhead, feigned ignorance of Mr Bello’s recent dramatic attempt to surrender himself at the anti-graft-agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
“We are not oblivious of the news which circulated the media space on the 18th day of September, 2024 wherein the Defendant was alleged to be at the car park of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). We cannot however confirm the veracity of same.
“At any rate, the attendance of the Defendant is required at the Federal High Court where the Charge is pending and not at the EFCC office,” Mr Pinheiro, a SAN, stated on behalf of EFCC.
Mr Bello has yet to confirm if he will attend Wednesday’s proceedings.
The letter came days after a dramatic attempt by Yahaya Bello, accompanied by his successor, Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, to surrender himself at EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja on 18 September.
EFCC reportedly refused to arrest Bello and instead attempted to apprehend him at the Kogi State Government Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, where he was being sheltered by Governor Ododo on the same day.
The encounter resulted in hours-long shootout following a confrontation that reportedly ensued between EFCC operatives and the governor’s security details.
The ex- governor reportedly escaped from the scene in Mr Ododo’s convoy amid the chaos that erupted.
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