Just In: Court Takes Fresh Action on Yahaya Bello vs EFCC
The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has dismissed the application filed by Yahaya Bello, the immediate past governor of Kogi State, to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to hear the allegation of N110.4 billion fraud filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The details of the court were shared by the anti-graft agency in a statement on its social media page, adding that the former governor was being prosecuted along with Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge that bordered on money laundering of the sum of N110.4 billion and criminal breach of trust.
Source: Twitter
Opposing the application, prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, argued that the application was misconceived and designed solely to delay the trial. According to him, the offences charged are offences under the Penal Code and are therefore properly triable before the High Court of the FCT.
Pinheiro further submitted that the properties allegedly acquired with proceeds of the offences, which form the basis of the charge, are all located within Abuja, thereby vesting the court with the requisite territorial jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
See the full statement by the EFCC on X here:
Source: Legit.ng
