Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has been summoned by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Thursday for arraignment on October 24.
Didactic Information Hut reports that Alhaji Bello is to be arraigned alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on 16 fresh charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Recall that Bello had previously been declared wanted after Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an arrest warrant on him on April 17.
Bello continuously failed to appear before Justice Nwite’s court, where he was to answer 19 counts bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2bn.
Justice Maryanne Anenih, before whom fresh charges have been filed against the former governor, ruled on Thursday that Bello must appear before the court to answer the new 16 counts against him.
Justice Anenih’s summons follows an application by the EFCC that it had been unable to serve Bello with the charge filed on September 24, in which Bello and the other defendants were charged with criminal breach of trust to the tune of N110.4bn.
While handing down the judgment, Judge Anenih ordered the EFCC to publish the open subpoena in a widely circulated newspaper.
He also ordered the EFCC to post a copy of the summons to Bello’s last known address and a prominent location on the court premises.
Bello was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday for a new arraignment, but since he was not present, the scheduled arraignment was postponed.