A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned hearing in the money laundering case brought against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to January 21, 2025. At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, said he had two witnesses already in court.

He said his first application was to formally enter a plea of not guilty on behalf of the defendant, even in his absence. Galaxy Television reports that Pinheiro SAN, in defending his application to enter a plea of not guilty for the Defendant, said the right to plead guilty or not guilty is a right that could be waived by the defendant. Michael Adoyi, who appeared for the Defendant, however kicked against this, saying that the Prosecution's application was made contrary to a subsisting order of Justice Emeka Nwite's court. Adoyi argued that the court, in a criminal trial, is distinct from the prosecution.

Citing Supreme Court verdicts on similar matters, he said, "The application made by learned senior counsel for the complainant this morning is a dangerous invitation to this honourable court. Civil proceeding is different from criminal proceeding," he noted. The Defendant's Counsel noted that the prosecution's application could not be anchored on any of the provisions of the ACJA, 2015 that he had cited, as those provisions do not excuse the need for physical presence of the defendant.