Yahaya Bello’s Lawyer Seeks Withdrawal from High-Profile Case
On Thursday, Adeola Adedipe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to let him stop representing the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
Bello is accused of money laundering, breach of trust, and misusing public funds totaling about N80.2 billion.
Bello missed his court arraignment, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) asked the judge to hold his lawyers accountable for not ensuring Bello’s presence.
The EFCC’s lead lawyer, Mr. Kemi Pinhero, SAN, insisted that the lawyers, who promised to bring Bello to court, broke professional conduct rules and should be punished.
Pinhero argued that according to legal rules, a lawyer who breaks a court promise is in contempt and misconduct.
He asked the court to discipline the present lawyer to uphold judicial integrity, comparing this situation to other high-profile cases where even top officials faced consequences.
Adedipe responded, denying he was the lead lawyer for Bello or that he made any promises about Bello’s court appearance. He accused the EFCC of disrespecting the court by not arresting Bello as per the warrant.
Adedipe’s team had informed the court earlier that they didn’t know Bello’s location. Given the case’s direction, Adedipe decided to withdraw from representing Bello, citing legal provisions.
However, the EFCC’s counsel argued it was too late for Adedipe to withdraw, suggesting his move was an afterthought and should not be accepted. They requested the court to make an example out of him by putting him in the dock.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, has not yet made a decision on the matter.
