EFCC Issues 'Public Summons' to Yahaya Bello, Asks Him to Appear in Court

The Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told Yahaya Bello, former Kogi State governor, that he has a case to answer on November 14.

In a public it released on its X handle on Friday, EFCC said Bello, who has several financial misappropriation accusations to clear, is to appear before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama on November 14 at 9:00 am in connection to some offences that took place between 2016 and 2023, during his time as governor.

It reads: "Complaint has been made this day on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that you (YAHAYA ADOZA BELLO) sometime within the year 2016 up until 2023 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit offences to wit:

The public summon to Yahaya Bello
"Criminal Breach of Trust contrary to Section 311 of Penal Code Law Cap. 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria 1963, Punishable under SECTION 312 of same Law;

"and Having possession or control of property reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained contrary to and punishable under Section 319A of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89 Laws of the Northern Nigeria 1963.

"You are hereby summoned to appear before the Federal Capital Territory High Court of Justice (High Court No. 3) sitting at Maitama on the 14th day of November 2024 at the hour of 9:00 am to answer to the said complaint.ÔÇØ

The antigraft agency secured an arrest warrant against him on April 17 and declared him wanted in connection with an N80 billion money laundering case, but he has been elusive since then as several attempts to arrest him have failed.

Months later, when an X post claimed that he was in the EFCC's custody, Dele Oyewale, the commision's spokesperson, denied it, saying Bello remained a wanted man.

By September, the press reported that the EFCC had filed another N110 billion fraud charge against Bello, and this was just one of the fresh 16-count charges against him.

He, alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, two officials of the Kogi state government, was accused of acquiring properties within and outside Nigeria through dishonest means.

Rather than appear in court that September, Bello filed a suit against the EFCC at the Supreme Court to seek the overturn of the arrest warrant issued against him on April 17.

Bello is not the first ex-governor to be involved in a legal battle with the EFCC. This publication documents 33 other former governors who have been prosecuted by the commission for corruption-related offences.

Although six of them have already been convicted, some of these cases are still ongoing while others have been struck out.