BREAKING: Court Orders EFCC to Serve Yahaya Bello with N80bn Fraud Charges Through His Lawyer
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has directed that the charges related to an alleged N80 billion fraud against former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, be served through his lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed.
The judge issued this order on Tuesday during a ruling on an application brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for substituted service on Bello. Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and lead counsel for the anti-graft agency, presented the application before the court.
Although Bello’s lawyer Abdulwahab Mohammed initially declined to accept the charges and proof of evidence, he was compelled to do so by Justice Nwite.
The Judge rejected the plea by the senior lawyer that a junior lawyer in his team, AI Musa be the one to accept the charges on behalf of the former governor.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Yahaya Bello was again not in court but represented by his lawyer.
Justice Nwite had last week issued a bench warrant against Bello following an application to that effect by EFCC.
The EFCC subsequently declared the former governor wanted for his persistent absence in court and evading the criminal charges on him.
