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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has demanded that former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday for his arraignment on money laundering charges. Mr Bello has been evading court appearances since April, stalling his arraignment on six occasions.
In a letter sent to Mr Bello’s lawyer, Abdulwahab Muhammed, on Tuesday, the EFCC reminded the defence of the trial judge’s order rescheduling the arraignment to 25 September and the Court of Appeal’s judgements ordering the former governor to make himself available for arraignment. The letter, written by EFCC’s private prosecutor Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), emphasized the defence’s undertakings to produce Mr Bello in court.
The charges against Mr Bello involve the alleged diversion of more than N80 billion belonging to the Kogi State Government during his eight-year tenure as governor. The EFCC has faced difficulties in bringing Mr Bello to court, despite declaring him wanted in April after a failed attempt to arrest him at his residence in Abuja.
Mr Bello’s recent dramatic attempt to surrender himself at the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja on 18 September, accompanied by his successor, Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, was met with a confrontation between EFCC operatives and the governor’s security details at the Kogi State Government Lodge later that day. The encounter resulted in a hours-long shootout, with Mr Bello reportedly escaping the scene in Mr Ododo’s convoy.
The former governor has intensified legal efforts to stop the trial, including filing actions before the trial judge, Kogi State High Court, and the Court of Appeal. However, the Court of Appeal reaffirmed the EFCC’s power to prosecute Mr Bello in August, dismissing his appeal against certain decisions of the trial judge.
It remains to be seen whether Mr Bello will comply with the EFCC’s demand and appear in court on Wednesday for his long-awaited arraignment on money laundering charges.
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