The past immediate governor of Kogi, Yahaya Bello, says his failure to appear before a federal high court in Abuja is by the reason of the fear of arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC has been on look out to indict Bello on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion.
Bello’s arraignment was initially billed for April 18, but the former governor did not show up in the court.
When the court resumed session on Tuesday, Adeola Adedipe, a member of Bello’s legal team, mentioned that his client would have appeared in court but was worried about being taken into custody.
“The defendant wants to come to court but he is afraid that there is an order of arrest hanging on his head,” Adedipe said.
He requested that the court to revoke the warrant of arrest that was issued on April 17 against Bello.
The lawyer argued that the charge had not been served on the former governor as required by law as at the time the warrant of arrest was issued.
“As at the time the warrant was issued, the order for substituted service had not been made. That order was just made this morning,” he said.
“A warrant of arrest should not be hanging on his neck when we leave this court,” counsel to the defendant added.
Per contra, Kemi Pinheiro, EFCC’s lawyer, argued that for the arrest warrant to be vacated, Bello must be arraigned and take his plea.
Emeka Nwite, presiding judge, had before now, made an order directing that the defendant should be served the charges by substituted means through his lawyers.
The court has now scheduled May 10 to rule on the application to vacate the warrant of arrest.