The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court has instructed that the request by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to transfer his money laundering case from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to Kogi State must be presented in open court.
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In a letter to Bello’s lawyers, Abdulwahab Muhammed, SAN, and Musa Yakubu, SAN, the Chief Judge highlighted a pending appeal in the case of Yahaya Adoza Bello vs. FRN, where Bello seeks an order for the Chief Judge to reassign the case.
The letter, signed by Special Assistant Joshua Ibrahim Aji, Esq., emphasized that any steps taken now could pre-empt the appeal’s outcome.
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“There is documentary evidence of a pending appeal in the case Yahaya Adoza Bello vs. FRN filed on 17/05/2024 wherein the defendant, as appellant, has sought a consequential order remitting the case to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
It is not proper to take any step that will be tantamount to pre-empting the outcome of the appeal.
“The main issue raised is jurisdictional in nature and will be more appropriately decided by the court. The matter should therefore be presented in open court,” the Chief Judge stated.
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The Chief Judge also noted that the primary allegation involves the conversion of Kogi State funds to purchase properties in Abuja, meaning the charges could be filed in either Abuja or Lokoja.
Additionally, he referenced two ongoing cases before the Federal High Court, FHC/ABJ/CR/550/22 FRN vs. Ali Bello and another, and FRN vs. Ali Bello and 3 others, where similar transfer requests were denied by the lower court.
