Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, adjourned proceedings in the alleged money laundering case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against a former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to September 25, 2024.
The judge held that proceedings would continue despite the appeal filed by the defendant on jurisdiction at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Counsel to the former governor, Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, had told the court that they had filed an application for stay of proceedings on the case, pending the determination of the appeal pending before the Court of Appeal on an arrest warrant earlier granted by the trial court and other rulings.
When hearing resumed on the matter on Wednesday, counsel to Bello, Mohammed, argued that the court could not proceed on the matter until the pending appeal was determined, citing authorities.
He also decried the treatment meted out to his colleague at the last hearing, saying, “Your lordship is functus officio. Heavens will not fall if the court stayed proceedings awaiting the outcome of the Court of Appeal.
“We are relying on the provision of the Constitution which overrides the EFCC Act which the prosecution is relying on.”
However, EFCC’s counsel, Kemi Pinhero, SAN, opposed the application vehemently, saying the defendant had not shown any Court of Appeal document showing that the court wants the lower court to stay proceeding.
At that point, the trial Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, asked whether, having received the application and affidavit, and being aware of the pending appeal, it would not amount to judicial rascality for his court to continue proceedings on the matter.
“Won’t it amount to judicial rascality to continue this case when there’s an issue of jurisdiction?” The judge asked.
But the prosecution counsel, Pinheiro, said, “It is not really an issue of jurisdiction,” adding that mere filing of an affidavit could not suffice as the case was not a civil case and urged the court to stick to the matter of the day, which was the ruling on the arguments presented on June 27.
The defendant’s counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed however told the court that the judge was misled on the 27th of June and that the request was for the proceedings of that day to be expunged.
“They are asking your Lordship to undo the work of the Court of Appeal. To avoid controversy and in order not to render the appeal nugatory, this should not continue. Even if Yahaya Bello were to be here, you cannot arraign him,” he argued.
“The affidavit filed on 16th July 2024, is to bring to your lordship’s attention the notices of appeal filed against your lordship’s ruling on 23rd April and 10th May.
“This appeal was transmitted to the Court of Appeal on 23rd of May and appellant’s brief of argument was filed on the 31st of May. Motion for stay has also been filed at the Court of Appeal. The two appeals basically challenge the jurisdiction of this court to entertain the charges ab initio.
“We urge your lordship to expunge the record of the proceedings on 27th June because at that time, an appeal had been entered and the proceedings should not have happened. The court was functus officio,” Abdulwahab argued, noting that insisting on hearing the matter would bring the trial court into conflict with the Court of Appeal.
Pinheiro, in his submission stated that one of the appeals sought to have the trial court stay further proceedings until the determination of the appeal.
He, however, noted that the judge was bound by his own rulings and, therefore, had the discretion to determine whether to proceed or not, noting that the first authority that the defendant’s counsel cited was a 1999 case that predated the EFCC Act, 2004.
“This same position was canvassed on behalf of Ricky Tarfa Mustapha, SAN, in 2016 case, Mustapha v FRN, and the court held that proceedings can only be stayed where there is a Court of Appeal order to that effect and they relied on Section 306 of ACJA. In Chukwuma v IGP, a 2018 case, the court held something similar,” he submitted.
Responding on point of law, Abdulwahab said, “We have two notices of appeal – one is on mixed law and fact and the other is on jurisdiction. The authorities he has cited are different from jurisdiction. Chukwuma v IGP is on admissibility of document and not jurisdiction.
“In Chief Cletus Ibeto v FRN, which is an ongoing criminal appeal, all the facts are on all fours with the recent case. The lower court stayed proceedings because of the issue of jurisdiction and now the argument at the Court of Appeal is on Section 306. That is how it is supposed to be.”
In his ruling, Justice Nwite said, “The grant of stay of proceedings is at the court’s discretion, and since it is an issue of discretion no one can give an authority for the judge to rely on. The judge only needs to exercise this power judicially.”
The judge, who had asked before going on recess, whether it will not amount to judicial rascality to continue the case when there was an issue of jurisdiction, changed his position and noted that the defendant wanted to use the appeal to delay proceedings.
According to him, there have been previous Court of Appeal judgments on such matters.
He also granted the application for withdrawal of the defendant’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, from the case and referred the matter of professional misconduct by the two defendants’ counsel to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, to conduct investigation on possible infractions.
Justice Nwite noted that, having stated the law, “the question is whether there was an undertaking by Abdulwahab and Adedipe, SAN, which was breached to amount to contempt of court”.
Consequently, he adjourned the case to September 25, 2024, for arraignment of Yahaya Bello.
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