In a significant legal development, the Court of Appeal has delivered a ruling that favors the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, dealing a blow to the contempt case brought forth by Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
Presided over by Justice Joseph O. K. Oyewole, the appellate court overturned the order issued by the Lokoja High Court against the EFCC and its chairman. The ruling grants the EFCC’ s request for a stay of execution and proceedings in the contempt case at the Kogi State High Court, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal battle.
The court found the ex parte motion submitted by the EFCC to be valid and scheduled the hearing of the motion on notice for May 20, 2024, under the case EFCC vs. Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/413/2024. Moreover, the court directed that all relevant documents pertaining to the case be served through substituted service, with notices to be affixed at Yahaya Bello’ s previous known residence in Abuja.
This decision effectively halts the contempt proceedings against the EFCC and its chairman, enabling the anti- graft agency to pursue its appeal against the earlier ruling of the Lokoja High Court. Meanwhile, in a separate development, allegations of attempted bribery by the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, have surfaced. Usman Okai, the People Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Dekina/Bassa Federal House of Representatives seat in the 2023 election, claimed that Bello attempted to bribe a judge ahead of a tribunal ruling. Okai’ s assertions come in the wake of an alleged leaked WhatsApp chat involving the state’ s Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, and others. The legal saga surrounding Yahaya Bello and the EFCC underscores the complexity of Nigeria’ s legal landscape and the challenges faced by anti- corruption agencies in combating graft and malfeasance.
