Court Declines Transfer Request in N80.2bn Fraud Trial of Former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello
The Federal High Court in Abuja has denied the request to transfer the N80.2 billion fraud trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello from Abuja to Kogi State. Chief Judge Justice John Tsoho ruled that the money laundering case brought against Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would be heard in open court in Abuja.
The decision, revealed in a letter signed by Justice Tsoho’s Special Assistant Joshua Aji and addressed to Bello’s lawyers, Abdul-Wahab Muhammed and Musa Yakubu, stated that the court agreed with the EFCC’s stance on holding the trial in Abuja. The ruling referenced a pending appeal in the case of Yahaya Adoza Bello VS FRN, where Bello sought to have the case reassigned by the chief judge. Justice Tsoho emphasized that any preemptive actions would be inappropriate given the jurisdictional nature of the issue.
The court also cited two ongoing cases (FHC/ABJ/CR/550/22 FRN VS Ali Bello and another, and FRN VS Ali Bello and three others) where similar transfer requests were denied by the lower court.
Yahaya Bello faces a 19-count charge including alleged money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of public funds amounting to N80.2 billion.
