Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State,who has been accused of 19 counts. In a letter to Justice John Tsoho, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, he requested to be permitted to stand trial in Kogi.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, made these accusations against the former governor.
Bello. In a letter through his legal team led by Mr. Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, maintained that only the high court’s Lokoja Division had the territorial jurisdiction to consider these claims.
Bello did not show up to the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday during the matter’s resumed hearing to enter a plea to the charges against him.
However. Adeola Adedipe, SAN, the attorney who made the announcement for him, told the trial Justice Emeka Nwite’s about the letter his client had written to the Chief Judge.
“My lord, after the proceedings of the last adjourned date, I went back and gave a report of what happened in court to our team,” Adedipe, SAN, said in his address to the court following the matter’s calling.
“However, I was made to understand that a letter had been written on behalf of the defendant to the honourable Chief Judge of the Federal High Court requesting in substance, that this matter be administratively transfered to the Federal High Court, Lokoja Judicial Division, which we believe have territorial jurisdiction to handle this matter.
“That letter was received at the Chief Judge’s Chambers and the office of the of honourable CJ wrote the prosecution team through Mr. Iseoluwa Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, on June 13, notifying him that administrative steps has been activated, whereof he was directed to provide a response to the request for transfer of the matter.
“My lord, as of this morning, I am not aware whether there has been a response by the prosecution team in compliance to the directive of the CJ.
“We are also not in receipt of any decision that has been made on this request by the CJ.
“I am also aware that this administrative directive of the CJ has been formally communicated to this court.
“We have filed an affidavit wherein we attached two documents referencing the details that I have just highlighted.
“My duty is first to the court. As of the moment, I am not urging anything from the court, but just to present the facts as they were,” Adedipe addressed the court saying.
The defendant had promised that on June 13 he would be in court for his arraignment; however, the EFCC, through its attorney, Mr. Kemi Pinhero, SAN, requested the court to order the defense attorney to provide an explanation for the defendant’s absence from the courtroom.
He requested the court to dismiss “the story of the defence lawyer as dilatory and a further attempt to treat this court with scorn.”
The senior attorneys for the defendant gave an undertaking, which the EFCC counsel claimed was not fulfilled in the letter to the CJ.
Pinhero, SAN further debated that the National Judicial Council, NJC, does not stop proceedings in cases that are still continuing before the court, even in cases when a petition is filed against the judge.
As a result, he requested that the court invite the two senior attorneys working for the previous governor to provide justification for not being charged with contempt of court.
Bello, who piloted Kogi state’s operations for eight years, is accused of participating in money laundering, breaching trust, and embezzling public funds totaling approximately N80.2 billion.
The former governor was accused by the EFCC for participating in money laundering alongside his nephew Ali Bello and two other people, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu.
The former governor of Kogi, despite having previously neglected to show up for his arraignment, has hired attorneys to prepare a motion to vacate an arrest warrant that was issued for him on April 17 and to challenge the court’s jurisdiction to trial him.
The former governor insisted that when the EFCC filed the allegation against him and requested the issuance of a bench warrant for his arrest, it was acting in violation of an existing ruling from a Kogi State High Court.
The defendant was given the option to voluntarily appear for arraignment even though the court, in a ruling on May 10, declined to revoke the arrest warrant.
