The immediate past governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who is facing a 19-count charge, has adduced reasons the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, should prosecute him in Kogi.
The former governor in a letter he wrote to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, said it would be legally wrong for the anti-graft agency to subject him to a trial in Abuja when the offence he allegedly committed was in Kogi state.
“Thus, the law is settled that generally, the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction is one all over the federation, the court is divided into judicial divisions and where a crime is committed in any of the divisions, criminal proceedings, thereof, must be initiated and prosecuted in that very judicial division of the Federal High Court where the act or omission or the elements of the offence were allegedly committed.
A lawyer, Mr. Adeola Adedipe, SAN, who announced an appearance for him, drew the attention of trial Justice Emeka Nwite to the letter his client wrote to the CJ on June 13. “We have filed an affidavit of fact wherein we attached two documents referencing the details that I have just highlighted. He argued that their failure to make the defendant available before the court, in line with the undertaking, amounted to a breach of the rules of professional conduct.
“If this sort of conduct is not punished, then we will be sliding to a situation that will be worse than the Animal Farm. He said his team had earlier notified the court that it was not aware of the whereabouts of the former governor.
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