Court Gives Yahaya Bello Until Nov 27 to Respond to N110bn Fraud Allegations

Court Denies Yahaya Bello Bail Over Premature Filing

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama has granted an extension for former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to respond to a public summons issued against him. Bello, who faces a 16-count charge of corruption brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was initially ordered to appear before the court on October 24. However, the ex-governor failed to attend the session, prompting the court to adjourn proceedings to today, November 14.

Despite the rescheduled date, Bello again did not appear in court. In response, Jamiu Agoro, the EFCC’s counsel, informed the court that the 30-day period for service, as stipulated by the court’s previous order on October 3, had not yet expired. The EFCC had officially served Bello with the summons on October 18, and Agoro requested a further adjournment to allow the full 30-day period to run.

Also Read: Court fixes November 14 for Yahaya Bello’s arraignment

“We believe it would be inappropriate to proceed with the case while the 30-day window for the defendant’s response is still open,” Agoro explained in court, proposing a new date for the next hearing—November 27, 2024.

The court also heard from the defense counsels for Bello’s co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, two Kogi state officials charged alongside him. The defendants’ counsels confirmed their clients had been granted administrative bail and expressed no opposition to the EFCC’s request for a time extension.

After considering the submissions, Maryanne Anenih, the presiding judge, granted the EFCC’s application, extending the time for Bello’s response. The judge further ordered that hearing notices be served on Bello at his last known address and be posted in prominent areas around the court to ensure the summons is effectively delivered.

Court Issues Public Summons for Yahaya Bello Over ₦110.4b Fraud Case: Here’s What It Means

The charges against Bello and his co-defendants relate to an alleged criminal breach of trust involving a staggering sum of N110,446,470,089, said to have been misappropriated during his time in office as governor. The accused face violations of sections 96 and 311 of the Penal Code Law, punishable under section 312 of the same law.