Court fixes May 10 for ruling on Yahaya Bello’s application to vacate arrest warrant

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed May 10 for the ruling on Yahaya Bello’s plea to cancel the arrest warrant issued against him on April 17.

Justice Emeka Nwite set the date following presentations from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, and Bello’s lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, during the motion hearing on Tuesday.

The arrest warrant was issued by Justice Nwite on April 17, upon an ex-parte application by EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN. Subsequently, on April 18, EFCC requested a substituted service of charge documents against the former governor of Kogi State, as his lead lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, declined to accept them openly in court.

During the proceedings, Adedipe urged the court to nullify the arrest warrant, emphasising that it preceded the charge, thus violating procedural rules.

He highlighted the need for fairness, stressing that Bello’s right to a fair trial could be compromised if the warrant remains valid without proper service of charges.

“The court must satisfy itself that the defendant (Bello) will not be prejudiced in fairness if the warrant of arrest continues to hang on his neck, having been made before service of the charge contrary to Section 394 of ACJA,” Adeola argued

However, Pinheiro contended that Bello’s arraignment and plea were prerequisites for vacating the arrest warrant.