A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting at Maitama, FCT, and presided over by Justice Maryann Anenih has ordered the remand of the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) till December 10 when the court will rule on his application for bail.
Also remanded in custody were Bello’s two co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu. Bello and two others were arraigned before the court this morning on a 16-count charge filed against them by the EFCC. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During the court proceeding in the charge marked CR/7781, EFCC had specifically urged the court to deny the former governor bail.
EFCC, through its team of lawyers led by Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, told the court that Bello, who is the 1st defendant in the matter, repeatedly refused to make himself available for trial.
The commission told the court that several efforts to secure his presence before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, where he is facing another charge, proved abortive.
Consequently, the Commission opposed a bail application that Bello filed through his legal team that was led by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Joseph Daudu, SAN.
Daudu, SAN, had after the former governor and his two co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu pleaded not guilty to a 16-count charge the anti-graft agency preferred against them, drew the attention of the court to a bail application his client filed on November 22. In the application he predicated on six grounds, the former governor argued that he enjoys the presumption of innocence under the law.
He said the former governor’s presence in court was in obedience to the summons that was issued to him. More so, Bello’s lawyer urged the court not to be swayed by EFCC’s claims with regards to a matter not related to the instant charge before it.
The prosecution counsel had informed the court that some of the witnesses billed to testify in the matter were available. He, therefore, prayed the court to allow the EFCC to open its case immediately, an application that was opposed by the defence counsel.
Besides, EFCC argued that Bello’s bail application was incompetent since it was filed before the defendants were arraigned before the court.
Ex-governor Bello and his co-defendants are facing trial over their alleged complicity in a N110 billion fraud.
Photo: Olukayode Jaiyeola