EFCC Urges Court to Discipline Yahaya Bello’s Lawyers Over Absence in Money Laundering Trial

Adeola Adedipe, representing former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello before the Federal High Court in Abuja, applied on Thursday to withdraw from representing his client amidst mounting legal challenges.

Bello faces a 19-count charge involving allegations of money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of approximately N80.2 billion in public funds.

The absence of Bello during his scheduled arraignment prompted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to request that the trial judge take disciplinary action against his legal team.

Kemi Pinhero, counsel for the anti-graft agency, argued that the lawyers had failed to honor commitments made to ensure Bello’s presence at trial, a breach of professional conduct as stipulated by Order 31(3) of the Rules of Professional Conduct for legal practitioners.

Pinhero emphasized the importance of maintaining judicial integrity, urging the court to dock the lawyers involved to prevent further disrespect to the judicial process. She cited precedents, including the docking of high-profile figures, to underscore the seriousness of the matter.

In response, Adedipe refuted the allegations, clarifying that he was not the lead counsel in the case and had not undertaken any assurances regarding Bello’s availability. He criticized the EFCC’s handling of the situation, particularly its failure to execute an arrest warrant for Bello.

Given the circumstances, Adedipe invoked Section 349(8) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, signaling his intention to withdraw from representing Bello. The EFCC countered, arguing that such a withdrawal was untimely and should not be permitted by the court.

Trial Justice Emeka Nwite has yet to make a ruling on the EFCC’s request for disciplinary action against Bello’s legal representatives.