Court Adjourned Alleged Money Laundering, Yahaya Bello Failed To Show Up

Yahaya Bello

Yahaya Bello not present as the ex-Kogi governor's N80.2 billion money laundering case as Court postpone 

The lawsuit brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, was postponed on Thursday, April 18, by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja.

The lawsuit was rescheduled for Tuesday, April 23.

The postponement is for the purpose of substituted service and potential Bello arraignment for the alleged N84 billion money laundering.

The former governor of Kogi State was not present in court for his arraignment because he was being protected by a someone with immunity, according to EFCC attorney Kemi Phinro, who addressed the court during the reopened session.

Phinro states that the former governor was escorted out of his house in Abuja by the same individual who had immunity, claiming that the anti-graft agency might use military assistance to lure him out so he could appear for his arraignment.

Yahaya Bello responded to this submission by telling the court, via his attorney Abdulwahab Muhammad, that the EFCC is not permitted to arrest or charge him.

Muhammad said that the EFCC was barred from detaining or charging the former governor by a Kogi State High Court in February.

He continued by saying that the EFCC had appealed the decision and that the Court of Appeal had not yet made a decision in the case. He emphasized that the EFCC's action was unconstitutional and that the court lacked jurisdiction to consider any charges brought by the EFCC.