The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, has ordered the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to present himself for trial.
It would be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) tried to arraign the former governor for alleged N80 billion fraud at the Federal High Court, Abuja in April.
The former governor was slammed with a 19-count charge of money laundering together with three other suspects – Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu.
The commission had earlier obtained a warrant of arrest and enrolment order from the court.
Bello, in turn, had also approached the Kogi State High Court to ask for an order stopping his arrest.
Justice Isah Abdullahi Jamil of the state High Court granted the former governor’s request, prompting the EFCC to approach the appellate court to overrule the order.
The appellate court has now overruled the lower court.
Justice Ken Amadi, who delivered the ruling at the appeal court also restrained Bello from taking any further actions regarding the charges against him until he has been formally arraigned.
Justice Amadi called the lower court’s ruling ‘scandalous’, noting that it was delivered to shield Bello from his criminal trial.
