The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will arraign former Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Wednesday following his arrest and detention for alleged N110bn fraud......READ THE FULL STORY>>.....READ THE FULL STORY>>
Dele Oyewale, the anti-graft agency’s spokesperson, disclosed this in a phone conversation THE WHISTLER.
“We will arraign Yahaya Bello this morning,” Dele told our correspondent.
The Commission had revealed on Tuesday that Bello was being interrogated shortly after his arrest in Abuja by its Chief Security Officer.
“He is in our custody, we arrested him today and he will be arraigned in court in no time,” he had earlier confirmed.
The commission declared Bello wanted in April after all efforts to capture and prosecute him failed.
Justice Maryanne Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, issued a public summons on October 3 ordering the former governor to appear in court to face a new 16-count allegation presented by the EFCC against him and two others.
Bello was ordered to appear on October 24, but he did not. The court then extended the summons to November 14.
At the last sitting on November 14, the EFCC requested an adjournment till November 27 in the new charges it filed against Bello, citing the 30-day deadline for the summons previously issued.
Bello was then given till November 27 to appear in court.
The court issued a public summons to Bello to appear before it to address the 16 fresh allegations filed against him.
Justice Anenih issued the summons after the EFCC filed an application stating it was unable to serve Bello with the charge filed on September 24.
EFCC counsel, Jamiu Agoro, who clarified that the summons remained valid, informed the court that the 30-day period of the public summons issued against the former governor would expire on November 17.
Agoro contended that taking the defendants’ plea would be inappropriate while the summons were still in effect. He also stated that the former governor was anticipated to appear on the next postponed date, saying the prosecution will take appropriate action if he failed to.
Agoro further asked the court to extend Bello’s appearance deadline and to order that the hearing notice be posted at his last known residence, Number 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
Justice Anenih then deferred the matter to today, November 27.
The agency initially brought 19 allegations against Bello, as well as his nephews Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu, for alleged money laundering to the tune of N80bn.
Bello applied to stop his arraignment before Justice Emeka Nwite, which the judge denied on July 17.
The governor then appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal. On August 20, a three-member court led by Hamma Barka denied Bello’s appeals and ordered him to surrender for trial.
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