THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that it would do everything possible to arrest and prosecute the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, over his money laundering case.
The EFCC said it would execute the arrest warrant issued against the former governor, even if it would involve using the military.
EFCC lawyers led by Kemi Pinheiro, a senior advocate, said this at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, April 18.
Read Also:
- Ododo allegedly smuggles Bello out as EFCC secures warrant for his arrest
- Group condemns forceful detention, forced labour of 126 workers for three months by employer in Kano
- Magu’s removal may bring setback to fight against corruption in Nigeria, coalition tells Buhari
Pinheiro faulted Bello for failing to make himself available for his scheduled arraignment.
The lawyer told the court that the EFCC’s spirited attempts to arrest Bello on Wednesday to get him to enter a plea to the charges against him “were frustrated by a person with immunity.
“We have to arraign him in court even if we have to use the military. Immunity is only attached to a person and not the building.
“The law allows to break down walls to arrest an evading defendant. Section 284 says all persons are to obey the service of charge.
“A former president of the United States was charged to court and has been appearing for trial. He did not file all sorts of things to frustrate the case,” the EFCC’s lawyer stated.
Even though he was not present in court on Thursday, Bello informed his lawyers, led by Abdulwahab Mohammed (SAN), to petition the court to revoke an arrest order against him.
After the case was called, trial judge Emeka Nwite questioned Bello’s lawyer about his client’s whereabouts.
In response, Mohammed informed the court that the ex-governor had obtained an injunction on February 9 from a Kogi State High Court, which he said barred the EFCC from inviting, detaining, or prosecuting him regarding the current case against him.
He informed the court that despite the EFCC’s ongoing appeal of the decision, the anti-graft agency had proceeded to charge the defendant “in defiance of that subsisting court order.”
Mohammed informed the court that his client had already submitted a preliminary objection contesting the legality of the trial and arraignment.
“What happened at Zone 4 Abuja yesterday, where they laid siege to the house of the former governor while he was in Lokoja waiting for judgement in his fundamental right enforcement suit, was unfortunate,” the lawyer stated.
In the meantime, he refused the EFCC’s attempt to serve him a copy of the charge in court, claiming he lacked the right to consent to the procedure.
Mohammed claimed there had been no attempt by the prosecution to serve the defendant personally with the charge.
Recall that operatives of the EFCC stormed the Abuja home of Bello on Wednesday, April 17, to arrest him.
The planned arrest is likely over the alleged sleaze he perpetrated in office.
However, the arrest was unsuccessful, as reports suggest that the Kogi State governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, smuggled out the former governor.
Ododo drove into Bello’s residence while the EFCC surrounded the building Wednesday afternoon.
According to reports, the development forced the commission’s operatives to leave Bello’s residence.
Gunshots allegedly rented the air while the former governor was being smuggled out of the premises by his successor, widely believed to be his kinsman.
An EFCC official could be overheard speaking with someone suspected to be his superior on the phone, stating that Bello was inside Ododo’s car, which departed, as reported by The Cable.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance