The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has taken a significant step in the legal battle involving the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, as the commission filed a notice of withdrawal to discontinue an appeal against an order of a Kogi High Court restraining it from arresting Bello.
In the notice filed on April 22, the EFCC acknowledged that events have overtaken the appeal and admitted that it was filed out of the time allowed by law.
The commission stated its intention to wholly withdraw the appeal against Bello.
“The appellant herein intends to and do hereby wholly withdraw her appeal against the respondent in the above-mentioned appeal,” the notice partly read.
“This notice of withdrawal is predicated on the fact that on the 17th of April 2024, the application filed by the appellant herein was overtaken by the decision of the same high court of Kogi State.
“The orders made ex parte by Jamil on the 9th of February 2024 in said suit which is the subject of this appeal, was made to last pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion on notice which was finally determined by Jamil on the 17th April 2024.
“Furthermore, the notice of appeal was filed out of time and we, therefore, pray that the appeal be struck out for being filed out of time and incompetent.”
The EFCC’s decision to withdraw the appeal comes amid its ongoing prosecution of Bello on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds amounting to N80.2 billion.
The case is currently before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
EFCC chief Ola Olukoyede has been vocal about prosecuting Bello to a logical conclusion or resigning from his position.
Olukoyede alleged that Bello withdrew $720,000 from the state’s accounts to pay his child’s school fees in advance just before he left office on January 27, 2024.
The EFCC’s efforts to arrest Bello were hindered when Governor Usman Ododo allegedly whisked him away on April 17, 2024, preventing EFCC operatives from executing the arrest when they laid siege to Bello’s Abuja residence.
