Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, faced a setback in court as Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed his request to vacate the arrest warrant issued against him. The Judge asserted that Bello’s continued evasion of arraignment in a criminal charge left him undeserving of leniency.
In a ruling delivered on Friday, the court rebuffed Bello’s plea for the discharge of the arrest warrant, emphasizing his contemptuous disregard for the legal proceedings. Justice Nwite highlighted that Bello’s persistent absence amounted to a mockery of the court’s authority.
Dismissing the request as lacking merit, the court firmly stated that Bello couldn’t dictate terms from the comfort of his room regarding his arraignment. Moreover, the Judge rejected Bello’s argument challenging the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction to hear the criminal charges against him.
Justice Nwite emphasized that Bello must first appear for arraignment and enter his plea before making any legal maneuvers. Bello’s contention that the arrest warrant was unnecessary due to his counsel’s acceptance of the criminal charges on his behalf was deemed insufficient grounds for dismissal.
