Justice Maryanne Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to appear before her court on October 24, 2024. The summons follows an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking Bello’s arraignment on a fresh 16-count charge related to alleged fraud.
The charges against Bello, along with co-defendants Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, involve allegations of misappropriating over N110 billion of public funds to acquire properties in Abuja and Dubai. The case, registered as CR/7781/2024, accuses the trio of criminal breach of trust, a violation punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.
At Thursday’s court session, EFCC lawyer Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that the commission had been unable to serve the fresh charges on Bello. The anti-graft agency requested a public summons against the former governor. Justice Anenih granted the request and directed the EFCC to publish the summons in a widely circulated newspaper, as well as paste copies at Bello’s last known address and prominent locations within the court premises.
The case adds to previous legal challenges faced by Bello. In the past five months, the EFCC has made unsuccessful attempts to arraign him before a Federal High Court in Abuja on a separate charge of money laundering amounting to over N80 billion.
Bello, who recently completed his tenure as governor of Kogi State, is expected to respond to these serious allegations during his court appearance on October 24.