The Court of Appeal in Abuja did not convene on Monday to deliberate on the appeal filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against a Kogi High Court ruling. The ruling had restrained the anti-graft agency from arresting the former governor, Yahaya Bello.
Issued on April 17, the ruling from the Kogi court prohibited the EFCC from taking any action against Bello, including arrest, detention, or prosecution. Judge I.A Jamil delivered the two-hour judgment in suit no HCL/68/M/2020 in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State.
Interestingly, the judgment coincided with an event where EFCC operatives purportedly attempted to arrest Bello at his residence in Abuja. The EFCC had intended to arraign the former governor on 19 counts related to alleged money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds totaling N80.2 billion.
To enforce their intentions, the EFCC promptly sought an arrest warrant from the Federal High Court in Abuja on the same day. Justice Emeka Nwite granted the ex parte motion filed by the EFCC and directed that Bello be brought before the court for arraignment on Thursday, April 18.
