Yahaya Bello Pleads Not Guilty As EFCC Arraigns Him For Alleged N110bn Fraud

Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has pleaded not guilty to a 16-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This comes after he honoured EFCC’s invitation on Tuesday to face charges linked to an alleged N110 billion fraud case filed by the anti-graft agency.

Dressed in a white kaftan and blue cap, Yahaya Bello arrived at the FCT High Court in the company of EFCC officials on Wednesday.

He was arraigned before Justice Maryanne Anenih, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, who are listed as the second and third defendants in the case.

The EFCC accused the trio of criminal activities, including the fraudulent diversion of N110 billion for personal gain.

All three defendants denied the allegations when the charges were read out by the court registrar.

Yahaya Bello, the primary defendant, strongly refuted the claims.

As of the time of this report, bail proceedings for Bello were underway.

Meanwhile, his co-defendants, Oricha and Hudu, had previously been granted administrative bail by the EFCC, while today marks Bello’s first court appearance in the case.

At the prior hearing on November 14, the EFCC had requested an adjournment to November 27, citing the 30-day window for the summons issued to Bello.

The anti-graft agency also sought additional time for the former governor to appear while confirming the administrative bail for his co-defendants.

KanyiDaily recalls that Yahaya Bello was Detained after he arrived at the EFCC office on Tuesday, accompanied by his legal team.