Tension as Court Issues Fresh Order on Yahaya Bello vs EFCC

Tension as Court Issues Fresh Order on Yahaya Bello vs EFCC

  • The federal high court in Abuja has reiterated that its order to arrest and produce Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi state, remained unchanged
  • Justice Emeka Nwite of the federal high court said it was disrespectful for Yahaya Bello to frustrate the court order to arrest him
  • The judge held that Yahaya Bello's application for a stay of execution would not be entertained until he appeared before it to answer the 19-count charges against him

FCT, Abuja - The Federal High Court in Abuja has insisted that its order made on April 17 to arrest and produce the ex-governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, still subsists.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling on Friday, May 10, held that Bello’s continued refusal to attend court and antics to frustrate the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)'s arrest warrant were disrespectful of the court.

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Federal high court sitting in Abuja has insisted that the former governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, must appear in person before the court to answer corruption allegation against him by EFCC and dismissed the stay execution application of his lawyer
"You must appear": The court tells Yahaya Bello Photo Credit: @OfficialGYBKogi, @officialEFCC
Source: Twitter

According to Vanguard, the court accused the former governor of Kogi state of attempting to frustrate the criminal case that the EFCC had initiated against him.

Justice Nwite held that the court would not entertain Bello's applications unless he appeared in court and pleaded guilty to a 19-count money laundering charge brought against him by the EFCC.

Court rejects Yahaya Bello's application

The judge also rejected Bello’s lawyer, Abdulwahab Muhammed (SAN), 's request that further proceedings in the case stay pending the determination of the EFCC's appeal in relation to a contempt case before a High Court of Kogi state, sitting in Lokoja.

The EFCC declared Bello a wanted person on Thursday, April 18. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Department of State Service (DSS) have also placed the former governor on their watchlist.

Read also

Yahaya Bello vs EFCC: When Ex-Kogi governor will appear in court unveiled

The anti-graft agency is moving to prosecute the former governor on 19 charges of money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds worth N80.2 billion.

Read more about Yahaya Bello:

Picture of alleged moment Yahaya Bello jumping fence to escape EFCC arrest fact-checked

Yahaya Bello: "How EFCC shot itself", former attorney general speaks on ex-Kogi gov's case

Yahaya Bello vs EFCC: List of former governors who have tackled Kogi counterpart

Yahaya Bello's dress-like woman fact-checked

Legit.ng earlier reported that Yahaya Bello, the immediate past governor of Kogi state, did not dress like a lady to flee the country and evade arrest.

The image claiming that the former governor dressed in female attire after he was declared wanted by the EFCC was fact-checked.

After conducting a Google Reverse Image Search on the image, it turned out to be a manipulated photo of Jane Nnamani, the late wife of the former Senate president, Ken Nnamani.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
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Bada Yusuf (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Yusuf Amoo Bada is an accomplished writer with 7 years of experience in journalism and writing, he is also politics and current affairs editor with Legit.ng. He holds B.A in Literature from OAU, and Diploma in Mass Comm. He has obtained certificates in Advance Digital Reporting, News Lab workshop, Journalism AI Discovery. He previously worked as Editor with OperaNews. Legit’s Best Editor of the Year for Politics and Current Affairs Desk (2023). Contact: bada.yusuf.amoo@corp.legit.ng