Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, and his co-defendants — Shuabu Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu, on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to the 16 counts preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged fraud and money laundering to the tune of N110.4 billion.
Bello and his co-accused are facing trial before Justice Maryanne Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, in a charge marked CR/7781.
The defendants were also accused of conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and possession of unlawfully obtained property.
Before the guilty plea, Bello turned crowd controller when his supporters became unruly in court.
Justice Anenih, who was to take the plea of the former governor and his co-defendants, rose abruptly and announced she would not return until decorum was restored in the courtroom.
Shortly after the judge left the courtroom, Bello who sat in the front of the courtroom stood up and directed his followers and sympathisers to vacate their seats and leave the courtroom.
Bello, who had been billed for arraignment since April 2024, finally appeared before the EFCC on Tuesday.
Bello went to the office with his lawyers on Tuesday morning, following the Supreme Court judgment which dismissed states’ case on the constitutionality of the anti-graft agency.
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