Adeola Adedipe, lawyer representing former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello in the corruption case against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has applied to the Federal High Court in Abuja to withdraw as legal counsel for former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Bello faces serious allegations including money laundering and misappropriation of public funds amounting to about N80.2 billion. Recently, he failed to appear in court for his scheduled arraignment, prompting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to request that his lawyers be penalized for not ensuring his presence.
The EFCC argued that Bello’s lawyers violated professional conduct rules and should face consequences. They emphasized that the court should uphold its integrity by taking disciplinary action against them.
In response, Adedipe clarified that he was not the lead counsel and denied making any commitments regarding Bello’s attendance. He criticized the EFCC for not executing an arrest warrant and stated that due to the situation, he had to formally withdraw from representing Bello according to legal procedures.
The EFCC insisted that Adedipe’s withdrawal request came too late and urged the court to take immediate action against him.
The case awaits a decision from Justice Emeka Nwite.
