Yahaya Bello, a former governor of Kogi State, has been summoned to appear before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja in connection with accusations of criminal breach of trust and possession of illegally obtained property.
The summons, issued by Justice Maryann E. Anenih, claims that these offenses occurred between 2016 and 2023. Dated October 3, 2024, the summons was announced in a post on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s X account.
Court documents indicate that Bello is charged under Section 311 of the Penal Code Law, concerning criminal breach of trust, which is punishable under Section 312. He also faces charges under Section 319A for allegedly possessing property believed to have been acquired unlawfully.
The public summons includes a statement asserting, “A complaint has been made on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, during the period from 2016 to 2023… committed offenses including criminal breach of trust and possessing property reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully acquired.”
Bello is required to appear in “High Court No. 3, Maitama, on November 14, 2024, at 9 a.m.”
Previously, the EFCC had declared him wanted and recently filed new charges against him accusing him of N110 billion in fraud. The commission had initially brought 19 charges against Bello and others, alleging money laundering involving N80,246,470,088.88. However, in the latest set of 16 charges dated September 25, the total amount increased to N110,446,470,89.00.
Last month, he visited the EFCC headquarters in Abuja with the current Kogi State governor, Usman Ododo, but was not questioned. The EFCC later characterized his visit as part of a strategic maneuver, with their Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, commenting on Arise TV that it seemed to be more of a publicity stunt rather than a genuine intention to comply with legal processes.
Additionally, an attempt by the EFCC to arrest him in September was unsuccessful.
