Yahaya Bello and Two Others Plead Not Guilty to EFCC Charges of Alleged Fraud
Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, and two other individuals on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to the 16 charges of alleged fraud brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Bello, the 1st defendant, denied all the allegations as they were read out by the Court Registrar before Justice Maryann Anenih.
Following the plea, the defense counsel, JB Daudu, SAN, moved a bail application. However, the EFCC’s counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, opposed the request, arguing that it had expired in October.
In response, Daudu clarified that the only relevant application before the court was the bail motion for the first defendant, which had been filed on November 22. He pointed out that the application was supported by a written address and referenced an exhibit—public summons—that showed Bello’s respect for the law, as evidenced by his appearance in court.
The EFCC requested that the trial begin immediately, expressing readiness to call its first witness. However, Bello’s legal team argued that they had only received the charge details late on the evening of November 26, and needed more time to prepare their defense.
On the bail application, Daudu emphasized that under Nigerian law, every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and as such, Bello had the right to enjoy his liberty while preparing for trial. He further argued that the EFCC’s objection was based on a separate case at the Federal High Court, which Bello had not appeared for due to jurisdictional issues. Daudu stated that such matters should not influence the proceedings before the FCT High Court.
EFCC’s counsel countered that their objection was based on three grounds: the competence of the bail application, the factual content within it, and the application of judicial principles.
Meanwhile, co-defendants Umar Shoaib Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu had been granted administrative bail by the EFCC earlier. Bello, however, was making his first appearance in court on Wednesday in relation to these charges.
