Rita Odafe
Yahaya Bello
The former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, has been unsuccessful in his bid to transfer his N80.2 billion fraud case from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to Kogi State.
Justice John Tsoho, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, dismissed Bello’s application to move the case in a recent ruling. The judge sided with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opposing the transfer and insisting that the trial must stay in Abuja.
Bello is facing multiple charges including money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of public funds. Despite refuting the allegations, he has not appeared in court for arraignment as required.
His legal team had pushed for the trial to be relocated to Lokoja, Kogi State. However, EFCC argued that the crimes were committed in both Kogi and Abuja, thus justifying the trial in either location. The Chief Judge, in agreement with EFCC, stated that the law allows for the case to be filed in either Abuja or Lokoja.
Mentioning ongoing similar criminal cases in the Federal High Court in Abuja, the judge deemed it premature to transfer Bello’s case, especially with pending appeals.
