Court Reschedules Yahaya Bello’s Money Laundering Trial for January 2025.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has rescheduled the trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to January 21, 2025, as reported by Vanguard.Bello faces charges from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) related to a money laundering case involving N80.2 billion, and the trial is pending further developments.

The postponement comes as the EFCC is seeking the court’s permission to proceed with Bello’s trial in his absence, as he has failed to appear in court despite several attempts to secure his attendance.Prosecutor Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, argued that efforts to have Bello attend voluntarily have not been successful.

He requested the court to enter a not guilty plea on Bello’s behalf and to allow the prosecution to call its witnesses.Pinheiro contended that proceeding without Bello is in line with Section 276 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.The defense, led by Michael Adoyi, opposed the EFCC’s motion, arguing it violates a court order that requires Bello to be present for the trial to continue.

Adoyi criticized the prosecution’s move, claiming it lacks grounding in the ACJA 2015 and could create a troubling precedent if allowed.After considering the arguments from both parties, Justice Emeka Nwite postponed the decision on the EFCC’s request until the January session.