Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, finally consented on Friday to appear in person at the Federal High Court in Abuja on June 13 to face corruption accusations.
Bello’s lead attorney, Abdulwahab Mohammed, presented the assurance to Justice Emeka Nwite on Friday, not long after the court denied the defendant’s motion for a trial suspension.
The former governor, according to the senior attorney, was more concerned about his life’s safety in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja than he was about being charged.
He claimed that his client’s life has been continuously threatened in Abuja, which is why he decided to hide for protection.
The statement made by Justice Nwite that the EFCC would not violate the law since it is a law-abiding organization influenced the decision to submit to a court trial.
Bello was not the first former governor to receive a mere invitation from the anti-graft agency, according to the judge, and he would not be the last.
The judge also stated that the accusations against the accused were based on unproven allegations and that, unless proven differently, the law even presumed the accused’s innocence.
He counseled the senior attorney to persuade his client to be a law-abiding individual who respects the law and court orders.
In response to the warning, Bello’s attorney thanked the judge for the tip and stated that the former governor will be hauled before the courts with the guarantee that the EFCC would not act improperly.
“All my client needs is just an assurance for the safety of his life which has been under threat for some time in Abuja,” he said.
In order to present his client before the court, the attorney asked for four weeks.
Bello’s appearance in court for his plea hearing was scheduled for June 13 by Justice Nwite, based on the undertaking and the absence of any objections from Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the EFCC’s attorney.
