Yahaya Bello calms supporters as judge walks out over crowd in courtroom

Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, took over crowd control of the courtroom when Justice Maryann Anenih walked out at the FCT High Court in Abuja.

Justice Anenih, who came in to take the plea of the former governor and his co-defendants, rose abruptly and announced not to come back until there was sanity in the courtroom.

Shortly after the judge left the courtroom, Bello who sat in the front of the courtroom stood up and moved to the surging crowd.

He immediately directed his followers to vacate their seats and leave the courtroom.

His actions doused the tension without resistance, as the followers left the courtroom one after the other.

To ensure sanity in the courtroom, the former governor sat at the entrance to the courtroom and ensured that none of his followers disobeyed the order of the court.

Yahaya Bello pleads not guilty to N110bn fraud charges

Meanwhile, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) is leading the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) legal team for Bello’s arraignment while Joseph Dauda (SAN) leads the legal team of the former governor in the 16-count charges.

Bello has however pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him and his co-defendants by the EFCC.

The Star had reported that Bello, a two-term former governor, was arrested by EFCC operatives in Abuja on Tuesday, November 26.

It was gathered that Bello went to the EFCC office with his lawyers on Tuesday morning, following the Supreme Court judgement which dismissed states’ case on the constitutionality of the anti-graft agency.

Speaking on Bello’s arrest, the spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, disclosed that the former governor, who was declared wanted by the commission, never submitted himself but got arrested by the operatives of the agency.

Oyewale said: “We arrested him (Yahaya Bello) at 12:54 p.m. He did not surrender himself to the commission; three of his lawyers are here with him.

“Following his arrest, he is having a session with investigators of the commission.

“He is being detained in our custody and he is going to be arraigned in court accordingly.”

The Star