The Court of Appeal in Abuja did not sit on Monday to hear the appeal filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the order of a Kogi High Court. The order had restrained the anti-graft agency from arresting the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
The Kogi High Court had issued the order on April 17, preventing the EFCC from arresting, detaining, and prosecuting Bello. The judge, I.A Jamil, delivered the two-hour judgment in suit no HCL/68/M/2020 in Lokoja, the state capital.
Coinciding with the judgment, EFCC operatives had attempted to arrest Bello at his home in Abuja. The EFCC is seeking to arraign the former governor on 19 counts related to alleged money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds amounting to N80.2 billion.
To ensure Bello faces the law for his alleged crimes, the EFCC approached the Federal High Court in Abuja on the same day to obtain an arrest warrant.
The warrant was issued following an ex parte motion filed by the EFCC. Justice Emeka Nwite, ruling on the motion, directed that the former governor be produced before him on Thursday, April 18, for arraignment.
Despite these developments, the Court of Appeal did not proceed with the hearing of the EFCC’s appeal against the order restraining Bello’s arrest.
The case remains adjourned until further notice.
Article updated 2 weeks ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
