I want to come to court, but I’m afraid I’ll be arrested, says Yahaya Bello

Beleaguered former governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has declared he was prepared to face the Federal High Court in Abuja to address the 19-count indictment that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, had brought against him.

Despite not being present at his arraignment, Bello briefed a group of attorneys who appeared in court on his behalf on Tuesday.

A member of his legal team, Adeola Adedipe, (SAN), informed the court that although his client would have been willing to attend the hearings, he was worried about getting arrested.

“The defendant wants to come to court but, is afraid that there is an order of arrest hanging on his head,” Adedipe said.

As a result, he asked the court to revoke the exparte order of arrest it had previously imposed on the outgoing governor, arguing that the charge had not been served on his client as required by law when the warrant of arrest was made.

He pointed out that the court had only approved the defendant’s substituted service of the charge through his attorney at Tuesday’s resumed hearings.

In addition, the former governor insisted that the EFCC is an unlawful organisation.

He claimed that before passing the EFCC Act via the National Assembly, the federal government did not confer with the 36 states of the union.

He said that for the Act to take effect, the individual state Houses of Assembly must ratify it following section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The EFCC attorney, Mr Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), asked the court to reject the application, arguing that the arrest warrant shouldn’t be revoked until the defendant appears for his trial.

“The defendant cannot stay in hiding and be filing numerous applications. He cannot ask for the arrest order to be vacated until and when the defendant is present in court for his arraignment. He cannot be heard on that applied application.

“The main issue should be ascertaining the whereabouts of the defendant. All these applications he is filing are nothing but dilatory tactics intended to delay his arraignment and frustrate the proceedings.