By Abubakar Yunusa
A high court of the federal capital territory (FCT) in Maitama has issued a public summons to Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi state.
In the summons issued on Thursday, Maryanne Anenih, presiding judge, ordered Bello to appear before the court on October 24 to be arraigned on a 16-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The charge borders on alleged criminal breach of trust to the tune of N110,446,470,089, contrary to sections 96 and 311 of the Penal Code Law Cap.89, Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963, and punishable under section 312 of same law.
Anenih ordered the EFCC to publish the summons in a national newspaper.
She also ordered the EFCC to paste copies of the summons on Bello’s last known address and in conspicuous places on the premises of the court.
The EFCC had brought the application before the court claiming that they have been unable to serve Bello with the charge marked CR/778/24 and filed on September 25.
The former governor is to stand trial on this fresh 16-count charge alongside two officials of the Kogi state government — Abdulsalami Hudu and Umar Oricha.
The defendants were alleged to have used funds from the Kogi state treasury to acquire properties in highbrow areas within the FCT and in Dubai, according to the charge sheet seen by TheCable.
