Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the petition put forth by former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, seeking the nullification of the court-issued arrest warrant against him.
The judiciary official emphasized that Bello, in demonstrating contempt of court through his refusal to appear for arraignment on a criminal charge, is not eligible to receive any leniency or special treatment.
Issuing a verdict on Bello’s plea for the revocation of the arrest warrant, the court, on Friday, declared that Bello’s persistent non-appearance for arraignment indicated a lack of respect for the court’s authority.
In rejecting the request due to its lack of validity, the court highlighted that Bello cannot expect to dictate his terms from the comfort of his residence to a legal institution like a court of law.
Moreover, the Judge dismissed the former Governor’s argument contesting the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to adjudicate on the criminal accusations filed against him.
Justice Nwite affirmed that Yahaya Bello must first present himself for arraignment and have his plea recorded before making any subsequent applications or appeals.
On April 23, Bello contended that the arrest warrant issued against him had lost its necessity following the acknowledgment of the criminal charges by his lead counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, in relation to the alleged N80 billion money laundering indictment brought against him by the Federal Government.
