A Federal Capital Territory High Court has issued a public summons against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, over a fresh  16-count pending allegations against him.

The presiding judge, Justice Maryanne Anenih, issued the summons in a ruling on Thursday, October 3, 2024, following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Bello, by the summons, is to appear before the court on October 24 in response to his arraignment alongside two other defendants.

Justice Anenih ordered the EFCC to publish the public summons in a widely circulating newspaper.

The judge also ordered the EFCC to paste copies of the public summons at Bello’s last known address and in conspicuous places on court premises.

Yahaya Bello to EFCC: Stop tarnishing my image for political reasons

The anti-graft agency had said it was unable to serve Bello with the charge filed on September 24, in which the former governor and two others were charged with criminal breach of trust to the tune of N110.4 billion.

The other two defendants in the charge are Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.

The EFCC had vowed to arraign Bello in person before the court for offences bordering on money laundering.

The commission stressed that it was not deterred by several tricks used by Bello to frustrate his arrest, saying it was eager to engage the former governor in the courtroom.

The statement by the EFCC came after the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja adjourned Bello’s arraignment until October 30, 2024.

The adjournment by presiding judge Justice Emeka Nwite came as Bello moved to the Supreme Court to file an appeal seeking to set aside the arrest warrant issued by the trial court on April 17 against him.

Speaking on the development, the EFCC said though Bello had made several unsuccessful attempts to frustrate his ongoing trial through “some irresponsible and utterly rascally efforts”, the appropriate place of surrender would be before Justice Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Star