1
00:00:00,200 –> 00:00:04,040
Speaker 1: Former Governor of Cogi State ya Hire Below, on Wednesday

2
00:00:04,040 –> 00:00:07,719
reported himself to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial

3
00:00:07,759 –> 00:00:13,400
Crimes Commission EFSAC, Nigeria anti corruption agency that has declared

4
00:00:13,439 –> 00:00:16,679
the former governor wanted over alleged correct practices while he

5
00:00:16,800 –> 00:00:20,120
was in office as Cogistate governor, an action that has

6
00:00:20,160 –> 00:00:23,359
meant the suspect to go into hiding for months. The

7
00:00:23,480 –> 00:00:27,120
fugitive decision of ya Hire below has pat reactions among

8
00:00:27,199 –> 00:00:31,000
members of the public for months, with some at certain

9
00:00:31,039 –> 00:00:34,920
intervals do met mockery of the Anti Corruption Commission of

10
00:00:35,079 –> 00:00:38,359
not being able to locate and arrest the free Corgistate

11
00:00:38,479 –> 00:00:41,280
former governor, who was said to be hiding inside the

12
00:00:41,359 –> 00:00:46,200
Coggistate government house. A statement issued by the spokespersons of

13
00:00:46,240 –> 00:00:50,719
the former governor indicated that the former governor decided to

14
00:00:50,799 –> 00:00:54,079
go out of hiding based on advices from family and

15
00:00:54,159 –> 00:00:57,840
political associates on the ground that he has not interfered.

16
00:00:58,640 –> 00:01:03,520
Former Governor of Coogie State, his Excellency Alhaje A Higher Below,

17
00:01:03,560 –> 00:01:08,239
today honored the invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

18
00:01:09,079 –> 00:01:12,879
This decision was meant after due consultations with his family

19
00:01:13,359 –> 00:01:18,040
legal team and political allies. The former governor, who has

20
00:01:18,079 –> 00:01:21,799
great respect for the role of law and constituted authority,

21
00:01:22,359 –> 00:01:25,879
had all the while only so the enforcement of his

22
00:01:26,040 –> 00:01:30,400
fundamental rights in order to ensure due process. The case

23
00:01:30,480 –> 00:01:34,439
has been before a competent court of jurisdiction and Alhajai,

24
00:01:34,480 –> 00:01:37,640
a higher below, had been duly represented by his legal

25
00:01:37,680 –> 00:01:41,439
team at every hearing. It is important for the former

26
00:01:41,519 –> 00:01:44,760
governor to now honor the invitation of the EFCC to

27
00:01:44,799 –> 00:01:47,239
clear his name as he has nothing to hide and

28
00:01:47,359 –> 00:01:51,200
nothing to fear. The former governor believes family in the

29
00:01:51,239 –> 00:01:54,799
efforts of the administration of President Borah Amed Tenable to

30
00:01:54,879 –> 00:01:59,000
place Nigeria on the part of sustainable economic development and

31
00:01:59,120 –> 00:02:03,040
supports the fire against corruption in the country. It is

32
00:02:03,079 –> 00:02:06,079
on record that he was the first governor of Cogiste

33
00:02:06,239 –> 00:02:09,400
to put in place and anti corruption mechanism to check

34
00:02:09,479 –> 00:02:12,360
graft and ensure that the resources of the state work

35
00:02:12,439 –> 00:02:15,719
for the people of the state. He was accompanied to

36
00:02:15,759 –> 00:02:20,639
the EFCC headquarters by high profile Nigerians. It is our

37
00:02:20,680 –> 00:02:24,159
hope that the Commission will be as professional as necessary

38
00:02:24,199 –> 00:02:27,439
and respect his fundamental rights as a citizen of the

39
00:02:27,479 –> 00:02:31,919
Federal Republic of Nigeria. Details of his engagement with the

40
00:02:31,960 –> 00:02:35,520
operatives of the anti graft agency will be disclosed later

41
00:02:36,039 –> 00:02:40,879
or here. Michael Director the Higher Vellum Media Office stated,

42
00:02:41,319 –> 00:02:44,439
we had earlier in July reported that the Federal High

43
00:02:44,479 –> 00:02:46,919
Court sitting in Abuja has sent the lawyers of the

44
00:02:46,960 –> 00:02:50,879
former Corgistate governor the hire below to the Legal Practitioners

45
00:02:50,879 –> 00:02:56,280
Disciplinary Committee LPDC for investigation following their actions in handling

46
00:02:56,319 –> 00:02:59,280
the case of eighty point two billion nyers alleged court

47
00:02:59,280 –> 00:03:03,599
committed by former governor. According to news statements from the

48
00:03:03,680 –> 00:03:08,759
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ef SAC, the court asked

49
00:03:08,759 –> 00:03:12,639
the LPDC to investigate the lawyers, who are Senior Advocate

50
00:03:12,719 –> 00:03:16,039
of Nigeria for his conduct for failing to produce Yahia

51
00:03:16,120 –> 00:03:20,080
below in court. The news release rates in court below

52
00:03:20,159 –> 00:03:23,639
those Justice and mecca ulites of the Federal High Court

53
00:03:23,680 –> 00:03:27,879
sitting in Abuja on Wedness Day, July seventeenth, twenty twenty four,

54
00:03:27,960 –> 00:03:30,919
ton down an application by a former governor of Kogi

55
00:03:31,039 –> 00:03:34,400
State ya Hier below seeking day of procedens and stolen

56
00:03:34,479 –> 00:03:37,039
of his arrangements is the alleged eighty point two billion

57
00:03:37,120 –> 00:03:40,680
nayers money laundering charge instituted against him by the Economic

58
00:03:40,759 –> 00:03:45,280
and Financial Crimes Commission. Also, the court has asked the

59
00:03:45,360 –> 00:03:52,120
Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee LPDC to investigate Bevelo’s Council abdu

60
00:03:52,120 –> 00:03:57,439
Waham Mohammad sa And and Adeola Addipei Sam for professional

61
00:03:57,479 –> 00:04:01,039
misconduct for reneging on their undertakings to produced the former

62
00:04:01,080 –> 00:04:05,159
governor for arraignments. The court had on June twenty seven,

63
00:04:05,319 –> 00:04:08,479
twenty twenty four, sleted wednes Day for ruling on an

64
00:04:08,520 –> 00:04:14,520
application by the Air Sainces Leave Council Kelly Pinharo San

65
00:04:15,080 –> 00:04:18,439
praying the court to hold Mohammad and Ladedipe for content

66
00:04:18,600 –> 00:04:20,959
of court. At the resumed session of the court on

67
00:04:21,040 –> 00:04:25,279
wednes Day, Mohammad tried frantically to persuade the court to

68
00:04:25,360 –> 00:04:28,720
allow stay of proceedings, arguing that appeals have been entered

69
00:04:28,759 –> 00:04:33,399
at the Court of Appeal Abuja Division. Both prosecution and

70
00:04:33,519 –> 00:04:37,600
defense councils held the court in fiery arguments over the ruling.

71
00:04:38,360 –> 00:04:41,680
Pin Hero submitted that Bello’s lawyers were only trying to

72
00:04:42,319 –> 00:04:45,360
arrest the ruling means for wednes Day on their felt

73
00:04:45,439 –> 00:04:50,079
undertakings to produce their client for arrangnments. He cited several

74
00:04:50,120 –> 00:04:53,360
authorities to establish the fact that since the matter broke

75
00:04:53,439 –> 00:04:56,879
before the appellate Court had not been determined, the trial

76
00:04:56,920 –> 00:04:59,800
court should not hold proceedings on the matter before it.

77
00:05:00,720 –> 00:05:04,800
Rodin on the efcce’s application to hold Mohammad and Adedi

78
00:05:04,839 –> 00:05:06,720
Pay for contempt of the court in view of the

79
00:05:06,759 –> 00:05:09,600
alfailiure to honor the undertakings the meant to produce the

80
00:05:09,639 –> 00:05:14,040
former governor for arrangements, Justice White asked the Legal Practitioners

81
00:05:14,040 –> 00:05:18,639
Disciplinary Committee LPDC to investigate the two senior lawyers for

82
00:05:18,720 –> 00:05:23,560
professional misconduct. He stressed that Berlo’s lawyers failed to bring

83
00:05:23,639 –> 00:05:27,959
their clients for arrangements against their assurances and undertakings before

84
00:05:28,000 –> 00:05:32,519
the courts. Ordinarily, I would have taken this matter, he don,

85
00:05:32,959 –> 00:05:35,519
but I would prefer to refer the matter to the

86
00:05:35,639 –> 00:05:40,920
Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee to propose necessary recommendation and necessary

87
00:05:40,959 –> 00:05:45,879
sanctions against the councils, he said. The judge also initially

88
00:05:45,920 –> 00:05:49,519
refused to grant the application of withdrawal of services to

89
00:05:49,519 –> 00:05:54,639
below by Adedi Pay. However, after passionate appeals by Pinhero,

90
00:05:55,120 –> 00:05:57,959
he granted it both directed Adedi Pay to make a

91
00:05:58,040 –> 00:06:03,279
formal application before the court to that effect. Meanwhile, Abdulaha

92
00:06:03,439 –> 00:06:05,800
said he would try to bring Below to court on

93
00:06:05,879 –> 00:06:09,720
the next John dead, though without taking any undertaking to

94
00:06:09,800 –> 00:06:14,160
that effect. Pinherro informed the court that the prosecution on

95
00:06:14,240 –> 00:06:17,000
its part would meant the necessary arrangement to bring the

96
00:06:17,040 –> 00:06:20,560
former governor to court, as the EFCC was making efforts

97
00:06:20,560 –> 00:06:24,399
to lie es with other sister security agencies to extract

98
00:06:24,439 –> 00:06:27,680
the defendant from the Kogiste Government House where he is

99
00:06:27,759 –> 00:06:32,639
hibernating Justice who went thereafter adjoint the matter till September

100
00:06:32,720 –> 00:06:37,000
twenty fifth, twenty twenty four for arrangements. Below is first

101
00:06:37,040 –> 00:06:41,639
in prosecution alongside his nephew Arie Below. The other Suleman

102
00:06:41,759 –> 00:06:45,040
and Abdul salamg Hudo on nineteen count charges bordering on

103
00:06:45,160 –> 00:06:48,120
money laundering to the tune of eighty billion, two hundred

104
00:06:48,160 –> 00:06:51,639
and forty six million, four hundred and seventy thousand and

105
00:06:51,759 –> 00:06:56,800
eighty nine miers and eighty eight cobos Cobo. Only Sasu

106
00:06:56,839 –> 00:07:01,120
one Leedy Queen Day the niece in Morgigs out there