Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has been remanded in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) custody by Justice Maryanne Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja. T
his decision was made after Bello and two others, Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu, pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and possession of unlawfully obtained property.
The EFCC accused Bello and his co-defendants of laundering over N80 billion. Bello’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu, moved a bail application, which the EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, opposed, stating it had expired in October. However, Daudu clarified that the relevant application was filed on November 22.
“The only relevant application before the court is the motion for bail in respect of the first defendant (Bello), which was filed on November 22,” Dauda told the court.
But in a surprising turn of events earlier in court, Bello took charge of crowd control when Justice Anenih walked out due to noise from ex-Gov. Bello supporters who had trouped to the court in solidarity. Bello directed his followers to leave the courtroom, restoring order. Justice Anenih returned.
The EFCC declared Bello wanted in April 2024. He has been remanded in custody until the next hearing on December 10, 2024. The judge will rule on his bail application on the same day.
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