Confusion As Abuja Court Orders Ex-Gov Bello’s Arrest Hours After Another Court Restrains EFCC

There was confusion at the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, as the court ordered the arrest of the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, for arraignment in court on Thursday.

The judgement came shortly after the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja earlier on Wednesday gave a judgement restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from harassing, detaining or prosecuting the the former governor.

Justice I.A Jamil of the State High Court IV gave the restraining order in a two-hour judgement delivered in suit no HCL/68/M/2020 in Lokoja at about 12pm Wednesday.

“By this order, the EFCC is hereby restrained from arresting, detaining and prosecuting the applicant,” he said.

Hours later, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the arrest of Bello for arraignment in court on Thursday.

This was in spite of an existing restraining order and a court judgement against such move.

The EFCC had appealed against the initial order, and the appeal was scheduled for hearing on April 22. (Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/175/2024: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission v. Alhaji Yahaya Bello).

Justice Emeka Nwite, who gave the order of arrest, said that by the Act establishing the EFCC, it had the power to arrest with or without warrant of arrest.

He said that the EFCC “had tried” to serve him with notice of arraignment.

LEADERSHIP reports that the Yahaya Bello Media Office had in a statement signed by Onogwu Mohammed on Wednesday alerted the nation to a siege on the former governor’s Abuja residence.