For the fifth time, former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Thursday, failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja for his arraignment in the N82bn fraud case brought against him by the federal government.
Instead, the former governor applied to the Chief Judge of the Court, Justice John Tsoho, to transfer his trial to Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Bello’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, informed Justice Emeka Nwite that his client had written to the Chief Judge requesting that the trial be moved to Lokoja.
He stated that the former governor preferred to be arraigned in Lokoja, arguing that the court there has territorial jurisdiction.
However, the senior lawyer did not mention the status of the Chief Judge’s response to the request.
He also did not fulfill his commitment made on June 13 to produce Bello in court for today’s arraignment.
At the time of this report, there have been legal disputes between the prosecution, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, and Adedipe.
The prosecution counsel is demanding that Bello’s lead counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, and Adeola Adedipe, both Senior Advocates, be tried for contempt for misleading the court.