10th May, 2024
By Paul Dada
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, has ruled that former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello cannot file any application before him until he appears to answer the charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Bello who is alleged to have perpetrated an N80 billion fraud, has evaded being directly served the charge.
Bello had however, through his legal team prayed the court to suspend further hearing on the matter pending the decision of the Court of Appeal on a case relating to it.
His counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, ststed that the EFCC obtained an ex parte order of the Appeal Court which stopped the contempt proceedings filed by him against the agency at the High Court sitting in Lokoja.
He submitted that since the Appeal Court had fixed May 20 to hear the substantive case, the trial court ought to pause all proceedings.
But the EFCC filed an application contesting the right of Bello to request the court to stall his trial when he had refused to appear before the judge.
Justice Nwite in his submission agreed with the EFCC. He ruled that the application of the anti-graft agency had merit.
Relying on section 396 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, Justice Nwite insisted that Bello must first appear in court before he could file any application.
He said it did not matter even if the arrest warrant for the ex-governor was illegally obtained.
The judge berated Bello for continuously disobeying court orders.