The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the arraignment of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to October 30, 2024.
The ex-governor is facing charges from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of laundering N80.2 billion of Kogi State funds.
Bello, who was absent from court on Wednesday, was scheduled for arraignment on charges under case number FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024.
His lawyer, A.M. Adoyi, explained that the former governor was not present because he had appealed two rulings from the Court of Appeal which had ordered his trial.
Bello is seeking to have the arrest warrant against him vacated, and his appeals have been filed with the Supreme Court under case numbers SC/CR/847/2024 and SC/CR/848/2024.
Adoyi argued that further steps in the trial should wait for the Supreme Court’s decision to avoid preempting the outcome.
However, prosecuting counsel Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) rejected this stance, accusing Bello and his lawyers of trying to stall the case. Pinheiro pointed out that the defense’s fresh motions were repetitive and intended to frustrate the trial process.
He also noted that the EFCC had made multiple attempts to arraign Bello in court, but the former governor resisted, even after being invited to the EFCC’s office.
Pinheiro criticized the defense’s claim that Bello had complied with court orders by presenting himself to the EFCC car park, explaining that arraignment is not done in such a manner.
He urged the court to consider sanctions against Bello’s lawyers for contempt of court and to refer them to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).
The prosecuting counsel further expressed readiness to proceed with the trial, even in Bello’s absence, as two witnesses were already present in court. He indicated that if the defendant continues to delay, the prosecution may seek to try him in absentia.
Meanwhile, Justice Emeka Nwite expressed frustration at the lack of progress in the case, stating that despite setting a previous date for arraignment, the court had made no advancement.
The judge also heard an application from Bello’s former lawyer, Adeola Adedipe (SAN), seeking to remove his name from a list of lawyers referred to the LPDC for alleged misconduct in relation to the case. Pinheiro did not oppose the application.
Justice Nwite adjourned the case to October 30 for rulings on all pending applications, arraignment, and potential trial.