A Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, on Friday rejected a request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arraign former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, without his counsel. Bello, who faces a 19-count charge of money laundering amounting to N84 billion, was not represented in court as his lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, was reportedly unaware that the case would be heard on Friday.
Bello’s legal team claimed that they were only informed of the arraignment the night before and were unable to contact the lawyer in time. As the court was about to proceed with the reading of the charges, the absence of Bello’s counsel became apparent. When questioned by the judge, Bello explained that he had been notified late on Thursday and could not reach any of his lawyers before the proceedings.
Despite this, EFCC’s counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, urged the court to continue the arraignment without Bello’s lawyer, arguing that the law only required the defendant’s presence in court, not necessarily that of the legal representative. However, Justice Nwite rejected this plea, emphasizing that proceeding without Bello’s counsel would violate his fundamental right to a fair hearing.
After a brief adjournment, the judge ruled that the arraignment would be rescheduled for December 13, giving time for Bello’s legal team to be properly notified. In the meantime, Pinheiro requested that Bello remain in EFCC custody, which the judge granted. The court also ordered that hearing notices be served on Bello’s counsel ahead of the rescheduled arraignment.
