By Ologeh Joseph Chibu
The Federal High Court in Abuja has rebuked former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello’s attempt to disrupt corruption charges pending against him.
In a fresh ruling on Friday, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the former Kogi State Governor should be arrested.
He also condemned the attempts made by Bello to obstruct the ongoing criminal case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Reiterating a previous order issued on April 17, the court emphasized the necessity for security agencies to arrest and produce Bello in court to face 19 charges against him.
The court condemned Bello’s actions, noting his absence and the engagement of legal representatives to challenge the court’s authority, as a blatant disregard for judicial proceedings.
It emphasized that Bello’s failure to comply with the arrest warrant and his subsequent application suggested an intention to evade trial.
Highlighting the established legal principle that disobedience and disrespect for court orders warrant no leniency, the court underscored Bello’s obligation to abide by the court’s directives.
Quoting Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates compliance with court orders by all parties and authorities, Justice Nwite affirmed Bello’s intentional defiance of the court’s order, signaling contemptuous behavior.
“The law is settled that he who disobeyed an order of the court and shown disrespect to the court cannot expect a favourable discretion of the court.”
“The honourable thing the defendant would have done was to obey the court order by making himself available.”
“Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, mandates all persons and authority to give effect to orders of court,” the judge stated.
The court underscored the Supreme Court’s condemnation of the nonchalant attitude towards court orders, reinforcing the necessity for Bello’s presence in court to proceed with any applications or hearings.
In light of these considerations, Justice Nwite reiterated that no application could be entertained until Bello appeared in court to enter his plea, emphasizing the seriousness of the charges he faces.
“In view of the forgoing analysis, I am of the view and I so hold, that no application can be moved or heard unless the defendant is present before the court to take his plea,” the judge reiterated.
Yahaya Bello, who governed Kogi State for eight years, stands accused of offenses ranging from money laundering to breach of trust and misuse of public funds amounting to approximately N80.2 billion.
