Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Thursday, applied to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court Abuja, Justice John Tsoho, to transfer his trial to Lokoja, the capital of the state.
Bello who failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja for his arraignment in the N82bn fraud case brought against him by the federal government made the application through his lawyer.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Bello’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, informed Justice Emeka Nwite that his client had written to the Chief Judge requesting that the trial be moved to Lokoja.
He stated that the former governor preferred to be arraigned in Lokoja, arguing that the court there has territorial jurisdiction.
However, the senior lawyer did not mention the status of the Chief Judge’s response to the request.
He also did not fulfill his commitment made on June 13 to produce Bello in court for today’s arraignment.
Meanwhile, the prosecution, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN has demanded that Bello’s lead counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, and Adeola Adedipe, both Senior Advocates, be tried for contempt for misleading the court.