Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned the alleged money laundering case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the immediate former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, till October 30.
When the matter came up for hearing, the defence counsel to the defendant, A.M. Adoyi, drew the court’s attention to the fact that the issue of the arraignment of the defendant was the subject of an appeal already entered by him at the Supreme Court.
He said he would like to draw the court’s attention to the appeal by virtue of the affidavit of record filed on September 23.
The defendant’s lawyer said, “The appeal numbers are SC/CR/847/2024 and SC/CR/848/2024. That means the most appropriate thing to do is to await the decision of the Supreme Court in the aforesaid appeal before taking any step for arraignment so as not to render the appellant’s appeal null or pull the rug out from under the feet of the Supreme Court.”
Counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, however, told the court that the defendant’s counsel were turning the court into a place for entertainment.
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He said, “Secondly, an appeal the defendant filed at the Court of Appeal disputing the mode of service of the charge and proof of evidence on their counsel was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on the 28th of August this year.
“The Court of Appeal said the mode of service was good and proper service. The appellant shall not take any further step until he submits himself. But they took another step.”
Arguing against the defendant’s applications, Pinheiro said, “They have three applications on this – two before your lordship and one before the Supreme Court. I will now urge your lordship to demonstrate audacity of coercive power on him.”
Adoyi, Bello’s lawyer, however, argued that the live issue of the matter slated for today (Wednesday), which is the arraignment, “is subject to an appeal by the defendant at the Supreme Court.”
“In the interest of justice, we should await the decision of the Supreme Court on the issue,” he urged the court.
Justice Emeka Nwite said that with the submissions made by the counsel, he would have to decide the issues raised in one way or another.
He said he would have to adjourn to rule on the matter.
The adjournment by Justice Nwite came as ex-Gov. Bello moved to the Supreme Court to file an appeal seeking to set aside the arrest warrant issued by the trial court on April 17.
Justice Nwite therefore adjourned the matter to the 30th of October for ruling and arraignment.
Recall that the former governor reportedly submitted himself to the EFCC last Wednesday, accompanied by the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, but the EFCC reportedly said he was still wanted by the commission and not in their custody.
However, it was later reported that EFCC operatives allegedly laid siege to the Kogi Government Lodge in Abuja to arrest the governor at night.