A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has fixed December 10 as date to hear the bail application for former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, is is being arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over and alleged N100b fraud
The presiding judge, Justice Maryann Anenih, who had earlier staged a walk out from the court following an uncontrolled crowd of the former governors supporters who trooped into the court room, before the former governor intervened and asked his supporters to leave the court room before the judge returned for court proceeding
The Judge fixed the date after taking arguments for and against the bail request by Bello’s lawyer, Joseph Bodunde Dauda, SAN, and Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Bello”s counsel, Daudu had pleaded with the court to admit the former governor to bail on various grounds.
Among others, the senior lawyer said that the law presumes him innocent until contrary is established by the anti-graft agency.
Daudu also submitted that Bello was not a flight risk as he had not travelled out of the country for the past seven years.
He also said that the former governor would not interfere with witnesses and exhibits since EFCC had already completed the investigation and filed charges against the defendants.
However, EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, rejected the plea by Daudu in his presentation , arguing that that Bello may likely interfere with the witnesses and exhibits.
He similarly reminded the court that Bello had several avoided prosecution as he has another case of similar charges at the federal high court, where some of his colleagues had already been granted administrative bail
Justice Maryann Anenih thereafter announced that she would make her decision known on December 10.
The Judge ordered that the three defendants should remain in EFCC custody until the rulings are delivered.
It will be recalled that Umar Shoaib Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu had earlier been admitted to administrative bail by the EFCC while the former governor appeared before the court for the first time.
