EFCC vs Yahaya Bello: Appeal Court Asked To Vacate Arrest Warrant, Trial Court To Adjourn Case Indefinitely, Return Case File To CJ

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The arraignment of the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, over the alleged N80 billion money laundering charges made against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday) may be stalled again, as Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has been asked to adjourn indefinitely, proceedings in the charge, pending the determination of an appeal filed by the former governor, which is pending at the Court of Appeal, Abuja.

In the Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CR/535/2024, in which the trial Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite is being accused of miscarriage of justice, Bello is, through his Counsels, Musa Yakubu (SAN) & Co, seeking the setting aside of the Warrant of Arrest believed to have been illegally issued against him on April 17, 2024, as well as return of the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, for re-assignment to another Judge.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Appeal was filed against the decisions of the trial Federal High Court, Abuja, in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024. The former governor is also seeking an order of the Appeal Court, setting aside service of the EFCC Charge on him by substituted means, including the entire proceedings already conducted in the case.

In a letter to Justice Emeka Nwite, dated July 12, 2024, counsel to Bello, Musa Yakubu (SAN) requested that further proceedings in the charge be adjourned sine die pending the determination of the appeal filed by the former governor, which is pending at the Court of Appeal, Abuja.

The letter, a copy of which was sent to the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, was in response to a letter to Justice Nwite, by the EFCC, dated July 8, 2024 and filed on the July 10, 2024, according to information from the court registry. In the letter, the EFCC requested for a variation of the earlier warrant of arrest issued against Bello, additionally requesting that the various security agencies be specifically directed to carry out the earlier arrest.