The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has dismissed an application filed by Yahaya Bello, former Governor of Kogi State, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the N110.4 billion alleged fraud case instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Maryanne Anenih (Justice) held that the court possessed the requisite territorial and legal jurisdiction to entertain the charges and rejected claims that the proceedings constituted an abuse of court process.
The decision clears the way for the continuation of Bello’s trial alongside co-defendants Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, who are facing a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving N110.4 billion.
Bello had asked the court to strike out the charge marked FCT/CR/778/2024: Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Yahaya Adoza Bello & 2 Ors, arguing that the alleged offences did not fall within the territorial jurisdiction of the FCT High Court.
The former governor also contended that the proceedings amounted to an abuse of judicial process because a separate criminal case involving him is already pending before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
