Court Declines EFCC’s Request to Arraign Yahaya Bello Without Counsel, Adjourns to December 13

Ex-Kogi Governor to Remain in EFCC Custody

The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the arraignment of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, in connection with an alleged N80 billion fraud. The case, originally scheduled for January 21, 2025, was brought forward to December 13, 2024, following the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's (EFCC) request for an abridgment of time.

Presiding over the case on Friday, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned proceedings to ensure fair hearing, as Bello’s legal team was not present in court. The former governor explained that he was notified of the sitting only on Thursday night, leaving insufficient time to inform his lawyers.

EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, argued for the arraignment to proceed, claiming that the presence of the defendant alone was sufficient for the process. However, Justice Nwite ruled otherwise, emphasizing the importance of legal representation for the defendant.

In his ruling, the judge stated:

> "The matter was initially adjourned to January 21, 2025. From the defendant’s statement, his lawyers were not informed of today’s sitting. For the sake of fair hearing, I will not proceed with the arraignment. The prosecution should notify the defendant’s counsel about the application for abridgment of time, and we will reconvene to address it."

The court scheduled December 13, 2024, for the motion on abridgment of time and possible arraignment. Justice Nwite also directed that hearing notices be served on the defendant’s counsel and ordered that Bello remain in EFCC custody until then.

This development follows a prior ruling on October 30, when the court set the arraignment for January 2025. The EFCC’s subsequent application for an earlier date had not been communicated to Bello’s legal team.

Meanwhile, the former governor is also facing a separate N110 billion fraud charge before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court. The ruling on his bail application in that case has been deferred to December 10, with Bello and his co-defendants ordered to remain in EFCC custody until then.