By Austin Ogwuda
THE High Court of the Federal Capital Territory FCT sitting at Maitama, Abuja, the nation’s capital has ordered that the runaway former Governor of Koji State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello be remanded in EFCC custody till December 10, 2024, when it will rule on his application for bail.
After several months of hide and seek game Yahaya Bello who was at last, physically available to face trial had wanted the Court to grant him bail instantly today, Wednesday.
Bello’s Legal team led by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Joseph Daudu, SAN, had after the former governor and his two co-defendants—Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu—pleaded not guilty to a 16-count charge bothering on N110 b alleged fraud drew the attention of the court to a bail application his client filed on November 22.
Expectedly, EFCC vehemently opposed it and urged the court to deny the former governor bail.
EFCC team of lawyers led by Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, told the court that Bello, who is the 1st defendant in the matter, repeatedly refused to make himself available for trial and that several efforts to secure his presence before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, where he is facing another charge, proved abortive.
The charge against the former governor and two others marked CR/7781, borders on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and possession of unlawfully obtained property.
Specifically, the EFCC alleged that the former governor misused state funds to acquire properties, including No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja (N950 million), No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja (N100 million), and No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja (N920 million).
They were also alleged to have acquired with funds stolen from the Kogi State treasury, Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N170 million), Hotel Apartment Community: Burj Khalifa, Dubai (Five Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Dirhams), Block 18, Gwelo Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N60 million), and No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N310.4 million).
More so, the defendants were accused of transferring $570,330 and $556,265 to TD Bank, USA, and possessing unlawfully obtained property, including N677.8 million from Bespoque Business Solution Limited.
*Runaway former Koji State Governor, Yahaya Bello, docked, at last