Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has moved to the Supreme Court to appeal the arrest warrant filed by the trial court on April 17 to arrest him over alleged money laundering and other financial misconduct by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Due to this, the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, from Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the alleged money laundering case filed by the EFCC against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, until Oct. 30, 2024.
When the matter came up for hearing, the Defence Counsel, A.M. Adoyi drew the court’s attention to the fact that the issue of arraignment of the defendant was the subject matter 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 appeal number is 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 to pull the rug out of the feet of the Supreme Court,” the Defendant’s lawyer said.
Counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, however, told the court that the Defendant’s Counsels were turning the court into a place for entertainment.
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.”