Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello has taken steps to halt his upcoming arraignment on charges of alleged N82 billion fraud at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
On Wednesday, Bello’s lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed SAN, filed an application requesting the court to stay proceedings. The basis for this request is the filing of two notices of appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to preside over the criminal charges against him.
Bello’s legal team argued that the appeals had been duly filed, and the records of the high court proceedings had already been transmitted to the appellate court. They also sought to have the proceedings from June 27 removed from the court records, claiming that the appeals had been entered at that time.
Bello has urged Justice Emeka Nwite to suspend the trial until the Court of Appeal reaches a decision on the jurisdictional issue.
In response, the federal government’s counsel, Kemi Pinheiro SAN, strongly opposed the request to suspend the trial. Pinheiro argued that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act do not support a stay of proceedings in criminal cases. He cited Sections 306 of the ACJA and 40 of the EFCC Act to back his objections, stating that the authorities referenced by Bello’s team are applicable to civil matters, not criminal cases.
Justice Emeka Nwite is expected to deliver a ruling on the application soon.
