By Adesina Soyooye
Embattled immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello has agreed to appear in Court to face arraignment for alleged corruption charges against him.
His lead Counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed gave the undertaking on Friday, at a Federal High Court, Abuja, before the Honourable Justice Emeka Nwite.
The undertaking was after Justice Nwite refused to lift the warrant of arrest against Bello.
Nwite dismissed Bello’s request for the vacation on the grounds that the former governor is in contempt of the Court by refusing to appear for arraignment.
Throwing Bello’s request out for lacking in merit, the court said that “Bello cannot be in the comfort of his room and be dictating to a court of law where he is to be arraigned.”
The Judge also insisted that the Federal High Court has jurisdiction to hear the criminal charges against Bello, contrary to Bello’s claims. Nwite held that the embattled Governor must make himself available for arraignment, his plea taken, before he can “proceed to make any application or request”
However, while giving an undertaking that Bello will be available for arraignment on June 13, his lead Counsel said that the former Governor was not afraid to appear in court, but feared for the safety of his life in the hands of the EFCC.
He claimed that Bello went underground because his life has been under constant threats in Abuja.
Bello escaped from his Abuja residence on the day EFCC Operatives went to arrest. Thereafter, he failed to appear in Court on the day of his arraignment, forcing the Judge to issue a warrant of arrest against him.
