By Olusegun Olanrewaju, with agency report
The arraignment of former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court yesterday assumed a dramatic bend when the trial judge, Maryann Anenih, stormed out of the courtroom in anger.
Justice Anenih had risen abruptly, citing disorder in the courtroom, with an announcement that she would only return if sanity prevailed.
The courtroom, which was jam packed with Bello’s supporters, had cascaded into chaos, prompting the judge’s flight.
However, the former governor on trial quickly stepped in, taking control of the situation.
Standing from his seat at the front, Bello instructed his followers and sympathisers to vacate the courtroom, even as he ensured compliance, sitting at the entrance to oversee their exit.
His intervention calmed the tension, and his supporters left in an orderly manner without resistance.
This incident occurred as Bello awaited the commencement of his trial on a 16-count charge brought by the Federal Government.
Justice Anenih resumed proceedings once calm was assured.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Bello at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court for his alleged involvement in a N110.4 billion fraud.
The ex-governor, who was previously on the run, turned himself in and appeared in court dressed in a white caftan and blue cap, accompanied by armed operatives of the EFCC.
The former governor and his two co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, face 16-count charges bordering on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and possession of unlawfully obtained property.
The EFCC alleges that Bello misused state funds to acquire several properties in Abuja and Dubai, including a hotel apartment in Burj Khalifa.
The defendants are also accused of transferring millions of dollars to a bank in the United States and possessing unlawfully obtained property.
Bello’s arraignment is the latest development in a long-running saga that has seen him evade capture for several months.
According to the EFCC, Bello and his co-defendants allegedly conspired to misappropriate state funds, which they used to acquire properties and transfer funds to foreign accounts. The properties allegedly acquired by the defendants include:
No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja (N950 million), No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja (N100 million), No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja (N920 million), Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N170 million), Hotel Apartment Community: Burj Khalifa, Dubai (Five Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Dirhams), Block 18, Gwelo Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N60 million) and No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N310.4 million)
The defendants are also accused of transferring $570,330 and $556,265 to TD Bank, USA, and possessing unlawfully obtained property, including N677.8 million from Bespoque Business Solution Limited.
