The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello to present himself for arraignment.
The court also restrained Mr. Bello from taking further action in the case until he is arraigned.
Additionally, the court has set aside the judgment previously delivered by the Kogi State High Court.
Ex-Gov. Bello’s whereabouts have been officially unknown since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) attempted to arrest him during a raid in his Abuja residence.
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However, reports have suggested that he has been hiding in the Kogi State Government House.
Governor Usman Ododo had scuttled attempts by EFCC’s operatives to arrest Bello from his residence in Abuja.
The EFCC is prosecuting Bello for alleged criminal diversion and money laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 while he was in office as the Kogi State Governor.
NewMailNG reported on April 18 that the anti-corruption agency had filed 19 criminal counts before a Federal High Court in Abuja against the former governor, bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
The charge filed at the Federal High Court 9, with charge FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024, dated March 9, 2024, has Yahaya Adoza Bello as the sole Defendant while the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the complainant.
The EFCC in the charge papers obtained by NewMailNG, accused the ex-governor of conversion of a total of N80,246,470,089.88 being funds belonging to the Kogi State government in February 2016 to himself, an offence which is contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.
Bello was also accused of indirectly using one Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu to laundera the sum of N950 million being proceeds of crime for the acquisition of a property at No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.
