Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the plea made by former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello to cancel the arrest warrant issued against him by the court.
The Judge stated that Bello’s failure to comply with the court’s order to appear for arraignment in a criminal case constituted contempt of court, making him ineligible for any leniency.
In a ruling delivered on Friday concerning Bello’s application to quash the arrest warrant, the court emphasized that Bello’s continuous refusal to appear for arraignment showed disrespect for the court.
Dismissing the application for lack of substance, the court emphasized that Bello could not expect to dictate terms to the court from the comfort of his home.
The Judge also disregarded Bello’s argument that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the criminal charges against him, emphasizing that Bello must first appear for arraignment and enter a plea before making any legal motions.
Bello had argued on April 23 that the arrest warrant was unnecessary since his legal counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, had accepted service of the criminal charges on his behalf regarding the alleged N80 billion money laundering charge brought against him by the Federal Government.