The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed new charges against Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, alleging fraud to the tune of N110.4 billion, Daily Trust reports.
The 16-count charge, filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja, names Bello as the sole defendant, along with two Kogi state government officials, Abdulsalami Hudu and Umar Oricha.
This development comes amid charges of money laundering against Bello to the tune of N80.2 billion. The EFCC’s counsel, including Kemi Pinheiro and Rotimi Oyedepo, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and seven other lawyers, filed the charges on behalf of the Federal Government.
“That you, YAHAYA ADOZA BELLO, UMAR SHUAIBU ORICHA and ABDULSALAMI HUDU sometimes in 2016 in Abuja, within the jurisdictions of this Honourable Court agreed amongst yourselves to cause to be done an illegal act to wit: criminal breach of trust in respect of the total sum N110,446,470,089.00 entrusted to you,” the charge sheet obtained by Daily Trust partly reads.
Meanwhile, lead prosecution counsel in Bello’s trial, Kemi Pinheiro, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, told Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja that the recent appearance of Bello at the parking lots of the EFCC was out of place as both the trial court and Court of Appeal clearly ordered him to present himself for arraignment in the N80.2billion money laundering charges preferred against him by the EFCC.
Pinheiro said, “There is nowhere my Lordship or the Court of Appeal ordered that Yahaya Bello present himself at the EFCC car park, but rather to appear before my Lordship for arraignment. What is even more worrisome and disconcerting is that the defendant went to the EFCC car park holding the hands of a person with immunity who came with all the full security of his office.
“The implication, my Lord, is if there was an attempt to get him from the person of immunity, there would be an invitation to anarchy. The invitation by the EFCC later in the day for Yahaya Bello to come alone, not with a person with immunity, security persons and other people was resisted again on their own admission.”
Speaking further, Pinheiro pointed out, “My Lord, we wrote a letter to the defendant’s lawyers drawing our colleagues’ attention that arraignment is not conducted in EFCC’s car park, but the defendant should be in court today according to the judgment of the Court of Appeal and this honourable court’s ruling.”
Pinheiro also urged the judge to demonstrate his might and exercise his power to show Bello’s counsel, A.M Agboyi, that the “court is not a vaudeville for entertainment but for serious business”.
The EFCC lawyer said, “This court is not a vaudeville, a vaudeville is a place of diverse entertainment. I want to borrow the words of Justice Uwaifo that no party should make a court a place of entertainment. The court must resist it. It is a place of serious and solemn business.”
He specifically sought the order of the court for Agboyi to be sanctioned and referred to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for turning the court to a vaudeville.
He said, “My Lord, it is against this backdrop that I will make this assertion that my learned friend wants to turn this place to an entertainment place or a casino.
“I want the court to use its power against him because his senior advocates have left and they pushed him so that it will serve as a lesson to others.”
He also sought leave of the court to proceed to the trial of Bello in absentia.
Meanwhile, Abdul Mohammed (SAN), counsel for Adeola Adedipe (SAN), craved the indulgence of the court to exercise its discretion not to charge Adedipe for contempt.
“Our application is filed on the 18th of July 2024, it is supported by an 11-paragraph affidavit deposed to by the applicant Mr. Adeola Adedipe. That affidavit has an exhibit marked A, and in compliance with my Lord is a written address.
“We are urging my Lord to exercise his discretion, we are on bended knees begging you to exercise your discretion and grant the prayers that are contained in the affidavit,” he said.
After listening to the lawyers, Justice Nwite stressed that “the matter is slated for arraignment, and it seems it has gone back to square one. It’s been over five months now and I don’t know how the case is going.
“With the submission made by counsels this morning, it’s quite unfortunate, but I have to reserve my comments, I have to reserve judgement on the submission of these counsels.”
He thereafter adjourned the matter till October 30, 2024, for arraignment and ruling.
In the matter, the EFCC is prosecuting Bello on 18 counts bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80.2 billion.