A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama has issued a public summons against former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, ordering him to appear in court for his arraignment scheduled for October 24, 2024.

Bello is to be arraigned alongside two co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, in connection with 16 fresh charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The former governor had previously been declared wanted after Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an arrest warrant against him on April 17. Bello is already facing 19 charges related to money laundering and misappropriation of N80.2 billion before Justice Nwite’s court but has failed to appear for his arraignment on five separate occasions.

Justice Maryanne Anenih, before whom the new charges have been filed, ruled on Thursday that Bello must present himself before the court to defend the latest allegations of criminal breach of trust involving N110.4 billion. The summons follows an application by the EFCC, which stated that it had been unable to serve Bello with the new charges filed on September 24.

The EFCC claimed that Bello and his co-defendants misappropriated funds entrusted to them. In her ruling, Justice Anenih directed the EFCC to publish the public summons in a widely circulated newspaper and to paste copies of the summons at Bello’s last known address and in visible locations within the court premises.

Bello was expected to appear in court on Thursday for arraignment on the fresh charges, but his absence once again stalled the proceedings. The EFCC continues to pursue the case, which remains one of the most high-profile fraud allegations against a former governor in recent times.