The former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stated his readiness to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja to address the 19-count charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Although Bello was not present for his arraignment, his legal team represented him in court on Tuesday. Adeola Adedipe, SAN, a member of his legal team, informed the court that Bello would have attended the proceedings himself but was apprehensive about a pending arrest order.
Adedipe, SAN, urged the court to revoke the earlier issued ex parte arrest order against the former governor. He argued that when the arrest order was issued, the charges had not been officially served to his client as required by law.
It was only during the Tuesday session that the court approved the service of the charges to the defendant through his lawyer. “The defendant wants to come to court but he is afraid that there is an order of arrest hanging on his head,” Adedipe, SAN, submitted.
Consequently, he urged the court to set aside the exparte order of arrest it earlier issued against the former governor. Adedipe, SAN, contended that as at the time the order of arrest was made, the charge had not been served on his client as required by the law. He noted that it was only at the resumed proceedings on Tuesday that the court okayed substituted service of the charge on the defendant, through his lawyer.
“As at the time the warrant was issued, the order for substituted service had not been made. That order was just made this morning. A warrant of arrest should not be hanging on his neck when we leave this court,” counsel to the defendant added.
