Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has adjourned the money laundering case against former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, until October 30, 2024.
The adjournment follows Bello’s appeal to the Supreme Court, challenging an arrest warrant issued by the trial court in April.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, Bello’s lawyer, A.M. Adoyi, argued that his client’s arraignment should be delayed pending the Supreme Court’s decision. He urged the court to await the outcome of the appeal before taking any further steps.
In response, EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), accused Bello’s legal team of stalling the case. Pinheiro highlighted that a previous appeal by Bello, concerning the service of court documents, was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in August.
Justice Nwite, after hearing both arguments, agreed to adjourn the case to rule on the matter and proceed with Bello’s arraignment on the next scheduled date.
Last week, Bello claimed he had honored an EFCC invitation, but the anti-graft agency refuted his claim, stating that he remains wanted. A subsequent EFCC attempt to arrest Bello at the Kogi Government Lodge in Abuja was unsuccessful.
