₦110.4bn Fraud: Court Orders Ex-Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello to Appear for Arraignment

Justice Maryanne Anenih of the FCT High Court has issued a ‘public summon’ ordering the former Kogi governor Yahaya Bello to appear in court for arraignment over ₦110.4 billion fraud.

Prior to the court ordering Bello’s appearance on Thursday, October 3, 2024, EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, prayed the court to serve Bello at his residence in No 4, Benghazi Street, Maitama, Abuja, on charges filed against him on September 24, 2024.

With the flagrance disregard for the rule of law, the court ordered that Bello be served at his known address in Abuja and the public summons be published in “widely circulated” national newspapers and pasted within the court’s premises.

However, Bello has accomplices, Shuabu Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu, who are being probed for criminal breach of trust and conspiracy to commit financial theft amounting to ₦110.4 billion.

Justice Anineh, notwithstanding, granted EFCC two separate adjournments for October 24 and November 14, 2024.

According to EFCC, the October 24 adjournment served as arraignment on the grounds that Bello would be arrested and brought to court by the Financial Crimes Commission and November 14 for when the 30 days of service elapsed.

Meanwhile, Bello is awaiting another arraignment before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for an 18-count charge of laundering ₦80.2 billion of public monies, including using ₦1.1 billion to pay in advance for his child’s tuition fees.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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Mayowa Durosinmi is a Nigerian investigative reporter for West Africa Weekly with reports focusing on politics, human rights, security and health in West Africa and the Sahel region.

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