The High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to remand Yahaya Bello, a former Kogi State Governor.

Justice Maryanne Anenih, who presided over his arraignment on Wednesday, said the agency was to hold him in custody until December 10, when his bail application hearing is scheduled.

Earlier, Bello and co-defendants Shuabu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu pleaded not guilty to the EFCC’s 16-count charge of fraud to the tune of N110.4 billion.

In court, Bello’s supporters appeared to disrupt the hearing, forcing Anenih to leave the courtroom. Bello then stood to calm them in a bid to restore normalcy.

READ MORE: JUST IN: Yahaya Bello Surrenders, in EFCC Custody

When Anenih returned, Bello Daudu (SAN), counsel to the co-defendants, asked the court to grant the former governor bail. Daudu argued that his client’s appearance in court meant he was willing to cooperate with the judicial process.

He also asked the court to treat the matter as independent of the trial his client had in the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Anenih disagreed with Daudu and fixed a bail application hearing for December 10.

EQ reported in September that when the EFCC attempted to arrest Bello in the Kogi Governor’s lodge in Abuja, security operatives resisted them with gunshots.

On September 18, Bello accused the agency of failing to attend to him when he showed up at their headquarters, but the EFCC accused him of not following due process. Hours later, there was a shootout between the agency and security agents at the Kogi State Governor’s lodge in the Asokoro District in Abuja.

The EFCC later said Bello was misleading the public. The EFCC claimed he had yet to appear before them or follow due process.
The post UPDATED: Court Remands Yahaya Bello Till December 10 appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.