A former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello cools off his heels in the gulag of the EFCC over alleged N110 billion he stole from the state coffers while he ruled for eight years
By Our Correspondent
Yahaya Bello has been arraigned after weeks of hiding from the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The former governor of Kogi State was arraigned by the EFCC on Wednesday, November 27, 2024 before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Maitama.
The accused who governed Kogi State from 2016 to 2024, is facing trial over his alleged complicity in a N110billion fraud.
The EFCC docked him alongside two officials of the Kogi State government, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, who were cited as 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter.
The trial judge, Justice Maryann Anenih remanded the trio in the custody of the EFCC, after they pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them by the EFCC.
The court subsequently fixed December 10 to rule on separate applications the defendants filed to be released on bail, pending the determination of the case against them.
The ex-governor’s co-defendants were previously on administrative bail, however, following their arraignment on that Wednesday, the EFCC prayed the court to allow them to remain in detention.
The agency, through its team of lawyers led by Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), specifically told the court that Bello, who is the 1st defendant in the matter, repeatedly refused to make himself available for trial.
He further told the court that several efforts to secure his presence before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court where he is facing another charge, proved abortive.
Consequently, the Commission opposed a bail application that Bello filed through his legal team that was led by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN.
After the former governor and his co-defendants entered their plea to the charge, Daudu drew the attention of the court to a bail application his client filed on November 22, 2024.
In the application he predicated on six grounds, the former governor argued that he enjoys the presumption of innocence under the law, insisting that he ought to be seen to be innocent of all the allegations the EFCC leveled against him until his guilt is established. Bello also contended that granting him bail would enable him to effectively prepare his defence to the charge.
The defence lawyer told the court that his client was only served with a copy of the charge against him, around 11pm on Tuesday, November 26.
