FORMER Kogi State governor, Mr Yahaya Bello today consented to present himself at a Federal High Court in Abuja for arraignment on 13 June 2024 regarding the corruption charges against him.
This decision was conveyed by Mr Bello’s chief counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, to Justice Emeka Nwite shortly after the court dismissed the defendant’s plea for trial suspension.
Mohammed, a seasoned lawyer, asserted that Bello was not afraid of arraignment but the safety of his life in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in Abuja.
He mentioned that his client’s life has been under constant threat in Abuja, prompting his choice to prioritize safety by going underground.
The decision to comply with the court trial was influenced by Justice Nwite’s assurance that the EFCC, as a lawful entity, would adhere to the provisions of the law.
The judge highlighted that Mr Bello was not the first former governor to be merely invited by the anti-graft agency and would not be the last.
Furthermore, the judge emphasized that the charges were founded on allegations yet to be substantiated, noting that the law presumes any accused individual innocent until proven otherwise.
The EFCC is prosecuting Mr Bello alongside Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of Eight Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty-Nine Naira, Eighty-Eighty Kobo (N80, 246, 470,089.88k).
Eighteen-Eleven Media