The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the money laundering case against former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, until October 30, 2024, for a ruling.
This decision was made after Bello’s counsel, A.M. Adoyi, informed the court that the matter of Bello’s arraignment had been taken to the Supreme Court.
Bello is facing a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had previously obtained an arrest warrant against Bello on April 17.
EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, expressed frustration with the repeated adjournments, stating that the defendant and his counsel had turned the court into a place of entertainment. Pinheiro urged the trial judge to use his powers and sanction Adoyi for contempt of court and being irresponsible.
Adoyi argued that the arraignment was subject to an appeal by the defendant at the Supreme Court and that the court should await the decision of the Supreme Court on the issue. “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,” he said.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter to October 30 for ruling and arraignment, citing the need to decide on the issues raised by the counsel. The outcome of this case will determine the next steps in Bello’s trial.
