The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja on Thursday summoned former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to appear for trial over fresh N110 billion fraud charges leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The case is separate from the N80 billion money laundering charge against Bello, which is still pending at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
On September 25, the EFCC filed fresh fraud charges involving about N110 billion while still fighting to bring Bello to court for prosecution in the N80 billion money laundering case before the Tribunal Federal Superior.
Both cases before two separate courts involve alleged diversion of funds from the Kogi State government during Mr Bello's eight-year tenure as governor.
The trial judge overseeing the new case at the FCT High Court, Maryanne Anenih, on Monday issued a summons and substituted notification order of the charges against Bello. This followed an ex parte application by the EFCC. An ex parte application is designed to be heard in the absence of the adverse parties.
Presenting the application, EFCC counsel, Oyedepo Rotimi, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the court to grant permission to enable the prosecution to serve Mr Bello by substitute means.
The court granted the request and ordered that the charges be served on the accused at his known address, No. 4, Bengazi Street, Maitama, Abuja.
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The court also ordered the EFCC to publish a public summons in widely circulated national newspapers and paste it in the court premises.
Two other people, Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are accused in the case along with Bello.
Together, they face 16 counts of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of N110.4 billion in public funds.
Charges
The charges include criminal breach of trust involving alleged diversion of over N110 billion entrusted to the care of Bello as governor of Kogi State. The anti-graft agency said Bello and his co-defendants diverted this fund in 2016, their first year in office.
He also alleged in several charges that Bello dishonestly acquired properties located in select areas of Abuja and one in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), with funds he allegedly diverted from the state government treasury.
For example, the commission said the former governor of Kogi State took N100 million from the government treasury to purchase a property at 1160 Cadastral Area C03, Gwarimpa II, Abuja, in 2021.
He alleges that he purchased another property at 35, Danubi Street, Maitama, Abuja, with N950 million belonging to the state in 2023.
He allegedly bought another one at 2, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja, with N920 million belonging to the state in 2020.
In another charge, the commission alleged that Mr. took N100 million from the Kogi State Government to purchase a property known as Block D, Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
Accumulation of legal problems
The new case increases pressure on Bello, who was fighting a protracted battle to avoid trial in the Federal High Court before new charges were filed against him.
In April, the EFCC made a futile attempt to arrest Bello at his residence in Abuja. Police officers stationed at the house assisted him in obstructing the movement of EFCC officers to execute a warrant of arrest against him. The standoff was still going on when the then newly elected governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, arrived there and facilitated Bello's escape.
However, the EFCC surprised the public by refusing to arrest Bello when he surrendered at the commission's headquarters in Abuja on September 18. Instead, the commission sent officers to make another unsuccessful attempt to arrest him at the Kogi State Government House in Asokoro, Abuja, on the same day. The EFCC would later cite some vague reasons, including some “background intelligence,” as reason for not arresting Bello, despite having declared him wanted since April.
READ ALSO: EFCC Speaks On Yahaya Bello's Controversial Surrender And Shooting Operation In Kogi Government. introduce
Meanwhile, when the next scheduled court session for his court appearance arrived on September 25, Bello refused to appear. His lawyer, who appeared on his behalf, cited an appeal he filed with the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeal rulings ordering him to surrender for trial.
Judge Emeka Nwite rescheduled the arraignment for October 30.