EFCC wants Bello’s lawyers indicted for alleged professional misconduct

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested that the Federal High Court in Abuja punish ex-Gov. Yahaya Bello’s two legal representatives for alleged professional misconduct and contempt of court.

Mr. Adeola Adedipe and Mr. Abdulwahab Mohammed (SAN) are facing allegations of professional misconduct and contempt of court for failing to produce their client in court as promised, despite giving an undertaking to do so in open court.

Persecondnews recalls that Bello was absent from the Abuja court on Thursday, failing to appear as required to answer the allegations against him.

However, Bello’s lawyer, Adedipe (SAN), appeared in court and presented a letter dated June 22, 2024, to Justice Emeka Nwite, in which Bello requested to be tried in Kogi State, as stated in the letter addressed to the Chief Judge.

The EFCC, through its lead counsel, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), has filed an application alleging that both senior lawyers are obstructing Bello’s arraignment by intentionally preventing him from appearing in court, thereby hindering the legal process.

He urged the judge to invoke Rule 31 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for legal practitioners in Nigeria, seeking sanctions against the two lawyers, to maintain the integrity and dignity of the court and uphold the rule of law.

According to Pinheiro, the two lawyers have allegedly been exploiting their legal expertise and procedural knowledge to deliberately obstruct and delay the criminal proceedings against Bello.

Pinheiro told Justice Nwite that in his 38 years as a lawyer and 19 years as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, he has never seen where lawyers, as officers of the court, would deliberately denigrate the same court.

Adedipe, one of the lawyers accused by the EFCC, responded by requesting to withdraw as counsel for Yahaya Bello in the ongoing trial.