The saga continues as High Court orders EFCC to serve Yahaya Bello fraud charges through his lawyer.
Written by Adeola Ibrahim on April 23, 2024
News reaching us confirms that on Tuesday 23 April 2024, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that the charges on alleged N80 billion fraud filed by the Federal Government against former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello, are to be served through his lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed.
This order was issued while Nwite delivering a ruling in an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for substituted service on Bello.
Lead counsel to the anti-graft agency, Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, argued the application.
Bello’s lawyer Abdulwahab Mohammed who initially declined to accept the charges and proof of evidence, was compelled to do so by Justice Nwite on Tuesday when he rejected the plea that a junior lawyer in his team, AI Musa accept the charges on behalf of the former governor.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Yahaya Bello was again not in court but represented by his lawyer.
Justice Nwite had last week issued a bench warrant against Bello following an application to that effect by EFCC.
The EFCC subsequently declared the former governor wanted for his persistent absence in court and evading the criminal charges on him.
