Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to transfer the fraud case brought against him by the Nigerian government to Kogi since the alleged crime occurred in Kogi state.
The request was made by his lawyers to the Chief Judge of the Court, Justice John Tsoho, and it came as he failed to appear before the court for the 5th time over an alleged N82bn embezzlement.
During the proceedings, Bello’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, told Justice Emeka Nwite that his client had written to the Chief Judge to request that the trial be moved to Lokoja.
Adedipe stated that Bello preferred to be arraigned in Lokoja, as the court there possesses territorial jurisdiction.
Recall that Yahaya Bello’s lawyer made a commitment to produce Bello in court for the arraignment on June 13.
The prosecution, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, requested Bello’s lead counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, and Adeola Adedipe, both Senior Advocates, be tried for contempt for “misleading the court.”