Yahaya Bello, the beleaguered former governor of Kogi State, has received assurances from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
If he shows up in court, the EFCC said, they won’t take him into custody.
During a Tuesday hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the anti-graft agency made the pledge.
Attorney Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) of the EFCC addressed the worries expressed by Bello’s attorney, Mr. Adeola Adedipe (SAN), who contended that his client was reluctant to appear because of the outstanding arrest warrant.
Pinheiro declared, “If he appears in court on the next postponed date, I, as his prosecutor, will personally request to have the arrest warrant revoked. I can guarantee him that his client will appear in court on the following date if he provides an undertaking.
Yahaya Bello is charged with nineteen counts of money laundering, breach of trust, and theft of funds totaling N80.2 billion. Bello did not show up for his scheduled arraignment.
When Adedipe asked Justice Emeka Nwite to overturn the exparte order of arrest that was made against Bello last week, the proceedings in court became more heated.
He argued that his client had not received the charge as required by law at the time the arrest warrant was issued, stating, “The order for substituted service had not been made at the time the warrant was issued.” That purchase was placed just this morning.
Nineteen counts of money laundering, breach of trust, and theft of cash totaling N80.2 billion are brought against Yahaya Bello. Bello failed to appear at his arranged arraignment.
The court proceedings heated up when Adedipe urged Justice Emeka Nwite to reverse the exparte order of arrest that was imposed on Bello last week.
He claimed that the arrest warrant had not been obtained since his client had not been served with the charge as required by law, saying, “The order for substituted service had not been made at the time the warrant was issued.” I just made the buy this morning.
But Pinheiro begged the judge to dismiss the motion and cancel the arrest warrant in the event that Bello failed to show up for the hearing. He emphasised.
