Yahaya Bello controls courtroom crowd as judge angrily halts hearing over disorder

The judge overseeing the arraignment of the former governor and two others, rose abruptly and announced not to come back until sanity was restored in the court room.

FCT High Court, Abuja, judge, Maryanne Anenih, angrily left the courtroom Wednesday morning over rowdiness caused by supporters of the former Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello.

Ms Anenih, overseeing the arraignment of the former governor and two others, rose abruptly and announced not to come back until sanity was restored in the court room.

The judge further asked “anyone not connected to the case, including lawyers, should leave the courtroom.”

Shortly after the judge left the court room, Mr Bello, who sat in the front row of the court room, jumped up and moved to the crowd, mostly his supporters, clogging the the courtroom from the doorway.

He immediately directed his supporters to vacate their seats and leave the court room.

His actions doused the tension as without resistance, the followers left the court room one after the other.

To ensure sanity in the court room, the former governor sat at the entrance to the court room and ensured that none of his followers disobeyed the order of the court,

All his aides and followers patiently obeyed his instructions and left the court one after the other.

Meanwhile, Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, leads the prosecution, while Joseph Daudu, a SAN, leads the legal team of the former governor.

Mr Bello and his two co-defendants later pleaded not guilty to the 16 counts of diverting N110 billion in Kogi State funds brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mr Bello, who spent Tuesday night in EFCC custody, was driven into the premises of the FCT High Court in Abuja in the anti-corruption agency’s vehicle at about 8:50 a.m. on Wednesday.

He was subsequently accompanied by operatives into the courtroom, where he sat in the first row of seats close to the dock.

Mr Bello spent his night in custody between since stepping down from office as Kogi State governor in January this year to face corruption charges stemming from his activities during his eight-year tenure in office.

Wednesday is Mr Bello’s first court appearance after months of intense efforts to avoid trial and shunning court summonses to answer the corruption charges pending against him in two courts.