By Deborah Nnamdi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday deployed
bomb detectors to the Federal High Court in Abuja ahead of the resumption of the trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello on alleged money laundering.
The bomb detectors, who were accompanied by other fully armed operatives of the commission, did not allow anyone, including staff of the court, to enter the courtroom until a thorough search for possible explosive items had been conducted.
The search reportedly took about 30 minutes before the courtroom was thrown open to lawyers and newsmen.
All those who had no direct functions were turned back from accessing the courtroom.
Security operatives arrived at the court premises as early as 7:30am in various brands of vehicles and swiftly took over security of the court complex from the main gate.
At the entrance of Court 8, where the trial is to be conducted, lawyers to the federal government and the former governor were politely told to exercise patience for routine security to be carried out.
At the end of the search, the courtroom was opened for only those who had matters in the courtroom.
As of the time of this report, Yahaya Bello, dressed in his usual white babanriga with a multi-color cap to match, had entered the courtroom waiting for proceedings to begin.
Reasons for the EFCC actions could not be immediately ascertained, but it was gathered that it was part of concerted joint efforts of security agencies to ward off possible threats to orderliness within the court premises by hoodlums.
It will be recalled that the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on Friday, December 13, 2024, granted Bello bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like sum.
He has since been coming for trial from his house.
He is facing an alleged money laundering trial involving N80 billion but has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The defendant is being led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, while the EFCC legal team is headed by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, before Justice Emeka Nwite.
