Nigerian Govt Threatens to Deploy Military As Ex-Gov Yahaya Bello Snubs Court

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor said on Thursday that the government could resort to inviting the military to bring a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, before the Federal High Court in Abuja to face trial for the N80 billion money laundering charges pending against him.

Mr Bello, who completed his tenure as Kogi State governor on 27 January, was scheduled for arraignment on 19 charges of N80 billion money laundering charges before the court on Thursday.

The arraignment was to take place before a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Emeka Nwite.

But Mr Bello was absent, stalling the scheduled arraignment.

The judge had, on Wednesday, issued a warrant of arrest against Mr Bello, based on an ex parte application filed by the EFCC.

The anti-graft agency made futile efforts to effect his arrest at his residence in Abuja on Wednesday.

At Thursday’s proceedings, EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, said efforts by the EFCC to arrest and serve the pending charges on Mr Bello were thwarted by the current Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, who was said to have sneaked Mr Bello away in his official vehicle.

Mr Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), leading Jibrin Okutepa, also a SAN, for the prosecution, said a “bloodbath” was averted on account of the anti-graft agency’s professionalism in handling the stand-off between EFCC operatives who were trying to arrest Mr Bello and the police officers attached to the residence obstructing the former governor’s arrest.

The prosecuting lawyer clarified that while Mr Ododo enjoys immunity from prosecution, his predecessor, Mr Bello, has since lost his immunity and must be brought before the court.

Referencing section 12 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, Mr Pinheiro said, “We will invite the military if need be to produce the defendant (Mr Bello) in court.

“Immunity does not attach to a home; it attaches to a person. We will produce the defendant in court.”

But Mr Bello’s lawyer, Abdulwahab Muhammed, said his client was not in breach of any court order.

Mr Muhammed, a SAN, cited an order of a High Court in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, restraining the EFCC from arresting and detaining his client.

Also, the defence lawyer argued that an appeal on the suit was pending at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

He contended that Mr Nwite lacks the jurisdiction to hear and entertain the case on account of the pendency of the case at the appellate court.

Mr Muhammed declined to accept copies of the charges on behalf of Mr Bello.

Details soon…

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