Yahaya Bello, Former Kogi Governor, to Face Trial in Abuja Over Alleged N83BN.

Yahaya Adoza Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, is set to appear in court today to face charges of alleged N82 billion fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), acting on behalf of the federal government, will be responsible for his trial.

This case, which is number 7 on Justice Emeka Nwite’s cause list, will be heard at the Federal High Court in Abuja. However, it remains uncertain whether Bello will follow through on his promise to attend the arraignment.

Despite the presence of lawyers from both the EFCC and Bello’s legal team, there is no sign of the defendant.

Bello has previously failed to appear in court on four occasions, citing biases against him by the anti-graft agency as his reason for noncompliance.

In today’s arraignment, Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), will represent the EFCC, while the defense team will be led by Adeola Adedipe, another SAN.

The case, titled “Federal Republic of Nigeria Versus Yahaya Bello,” is labeled HC/ABJ/CR/98/2024.