▪︎ Governor Bello’s wife not a defendant in the matter*
By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed February 14 for hearing on the bail application filed by Ali Bello and 3 others on an alleged N3 billion fraud charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.
On 8th February, 2023, Justice Obiora Egwuatu adjourned for hearing on the bail application filed by the defendants after they had pleaded not guilty to the 18-count charge.
At the resumed sitting, Counsel to the defendants, Ahmed Raji (SAN), had told the court that the EFCC had filed a counter affidavit to the bail application.
The EFCC’s counter affidavit, filed on Friday, was not in the Court’s file and not at the Registry of the Court.
The EFCC however claimed that it was mistakenly taken to another Court, specifically Court 7.
Justice Egwuatu noted that there were no copies of the counter affidavit in his record.
In the light of the mix up, the Court adjourned the matter to tomorrow, 14th February, 2022 for hearing of the bail application.
Governor Yahaya Bello’s wife, Mrs. Rasheedat Bello, was not a defendant in the matter as against the EFCC press release of last Sunday.
However, contrary to insinuations that the Monday’s sitting was for ruling on the EFCC case against Ali Bello and 3 others, it was for hearing on the bail application filed by the defendants.
