Daud Olatunji
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the plea of the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to suspend proceedings in the ongoing trial concerning alleged N80.2 billion fraud charges leveled against him.
Bello’s legal team, led by Abdulwahab Mohammed, sought to halt the trial citing an appeal filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Court of Appeal.
This appeal was in response to a contempt application filed by Bello against the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukayode.
However, the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, rebuffed Bello’s application, asserting that it could not be entertained in the absence of the defendant.
He emphasized the necessity for Bello’s presence in court for any legal proceedings to proceed.
“The application cannot be entertained unless the defendant is present in the court.
In the absence of the defendant in court, the motion on notice filed by the complainant can only be conducted if the defendant is in court,” Justice Nwite ruled.
Justice Nwite condemned Bello’s apparent disregard for court orders, accusing him of attempting to undermine the judicial process by avoiding appearances in court.
“Bello was trying to make rubbish out of a criminal case by choosing to stay in his house and not respect the court orders,” Justice Nwite remarked sternly.
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