In an effort to overturn the arrest warrant issued against him, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the former Governor of Kogi, made an appeal to the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
Represented by his lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, Bello argued before Justice Emeka Nwite that the court did not have the rightful authority to issue the warrant initially.
During the scheduled appearance of the ex-governor for arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 19-count money laundering charge, Mohammed addressed Justice Nwite on the matter.
Justice Nwite had ordered the issuance of an arrest warrant for Bello by the EFCC on the previous day, directing his presence in court for plea on the charges brought against him.
Mohammed highlighted that a preliminary objection had been filed with the court in advance and emphasized that a Kogi High Court ruling had previously barred the anti-graft agency from arresting, detaining, or prosecuting Bello on February 9.
Having challenged the order at the Court of Appeal with a pending hearing, Mohammed contended that the arrest warrant obtained by the EFCC was an inappropriate attempt to disrupt the appeal court process.
He stressed the significance of addressing the jurisdictional issue as a primary concern for the court.
On the contrary, Kehinde Pinhero, SAN, representing the EFCC, disagreed with Mohammed’s stance and noted that the arraignment of Bello was the scheduled agenda, suggesting that Mohammed could be served in the open court to proceed with the matter.
The issuance of the arrest warrant, according to Pinhero, was to ensure Bello’s appearance in court for trial, given the unsuccessful attempts to serve him through other means.
The ongoing hearing remained active at the time of reporting.