The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed two appeals filed by former Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, seeking to stop his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an alleged N80 billion money laundering charge.
The appeals were dismissed by a three-man panel comprising Justice H. A. Barka, Justice S. A. Bola, and Justice I. K. Amadi. The court upheld the earlier decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which directed Bello to comply with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and present himself for arraignment.
The Federal High Court had ruled that the former governor must appear in court to face the charges, a decision Bello sought to challenge through the two appeals. However, the Court of Appeal affirmed that Bello must follow due process and stand trial as required by law.
The EFCC had filed the charges against Bello, accusing him of laundering funds amounting to N80 billion during his tenure as Kogi State governor. This latest ruling sets the stage for Bello’s long-awaited arraignment, despite his legal attempts to avoid the process.
