CODIFIER

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ruled against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s bid to re-examine its third witness in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, over alleged money laundering. Presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, declined the request, stating that the EFCC could not re-question its own witness unless that individual had been declared hostile.  He emphasized that any further questioning must remain within specific limits of earlier testimony. “The prosecution is only permitted to re-examine based on specific parts of Exhibit 19 — pages 1, 14, and 15. Any attempt beyond that would be outside the bounds of the law,” the judge said. During the session, EFCC lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, described the trial as political, arguing that Bello is not just any defendant but a former presidential aspirant. This prompted a sharp response from the judge who remarked, “If this is a political case, perhaps those...

Former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award on Media Empowerment by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) during its 70th anniversary celebration held in Abuja. The award was presented at a ceremony and book launch on Saturday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, recognizing Bello’s contributions to the growth of journalism and the welfare of media practitioners, particularly during his time in office. Senator Smart Adeyemi, a former NUJ President and ex-lawmaker who represented Kogi West in the 9th National Assembly, received the award on behalf of the former governor. According to NUJ President and his deputy, Mrs. Abimbola Oyetunde, who jointly signed Bello’s nomination letter, the honour acknowledged his consistent support for journalists in Kogi State and his initiatives to enhance the profession nationally. One such initiative is the GYB Annual Workshop for Correspondents and Editors, an event organized during ...

By ROTIMI DUROJAIYE  Very early on Wednesday, 18th June, 2025, I woke up to a message on some WhatsApp groups, saying that there would be no formal celebration of the 50th birthday anniversary of the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello. He would rather prefer to mark it privately, at his Abuja residence, as the day coincided with the birthday of one of his daughters, the message said.  At first, I wondered why he wouldn't want to celebrate such a milestone, but then some comments on the groups mentioned the mood of the nation, particularly the sad Benue crisis, among others. I was in Abuja for an advanced training programme and had an engagement around Asokoro, not far from the former Governor's residence.  Whenever people talked about his residence, I always thought of Wuse Zone 4.  So when I saw the crowd and the very long queue of vehicles, I asked my bolt driver what was going on and he said they were all going to Yahaya Bello's house....