Corruption: Appeal Court Orders Yahaya Bello To Appear In Court

Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has been ordered to appear in court to answer corruption charges leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Court of Appeal on Tuesday overturned a previous ruling by a Kogi State High Court that had seemingly shielded Bello from prosecution.

The appellate court has now mandated that the embattled former governor must face arraignment without further delay.

The court also relied on the earlier decision of Olubunmi Oyewole JCA in EFCC vs. Alh. Yahaya Bello, CA/ABJ/CV/413/2024 to reiterate that “no court has the power to preclude a law enforcement agent from performing its statutory functions.”

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“In view of the provision of Section 396(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, the respondent in this appeal, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, is hereby ordered to appear for his arraignment in Charge No.: FHC/ABJ/CR/550/2022, FRN VS ALI BELLO & ANOR, before taking any other step in this matter,” the court ruled.

Bello has been evading arrest since April when the EFCC attempted to apprehend him at his Abuja residence.

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The anti-graft agency alleges that Bello misappropriated over N80 billion during his eight-year tenure as governor.

The EFCC’s initial attempt to arrest Bello was thwarted by the intervention of the then-incoming Governor Usman Ododo, who prevented the operation.