Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello on Friday appeared before Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja for the continuation of the case instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

He is charged on a 19-count charge that borders on alleged N80.2 billion fraud.

There were speculations that the anti-graft agency would arraign the former governor on Thursday, alongside his nephew, Ali Bello, and two others—Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu—before Justice Emeka Nwite but this could not take place .

He was brought to court this morning by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the proceeding is now in progress.

It would be recalled that Justice Nwite had, on April 17, issued a warrant for the arrest of the former governor following his repeated failure to appear before the court for his arraignment.

This followed fruitless efforts by operatives of the EFCC to execute the arrest order at Bello’s residence in Abuja, which was allegedly thwarted by the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, who was said to have whisked him away in his official car.

However, after months of back-and-forth, Bello, last Tuesday, surrendered himself to the anti-graft agency, which docked him before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday and slated December 10 to decide the application for his bail.

Justice Nwite had, on October 30, adjourned until January 21, 2025, to hear the alleged money laundering case brought against Yahaya Bello by the EFCC.

When the case came for hearing on October 30, EFCC’s Counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that the prosecution had two witnesses already in court to give evidence in the case.