The bomb detectors who were accompanied by other fully armed operatives of the commission did not allow anyone, including staff of the court to enter the court room until a thorough search for possible explosive items had been conducted.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) deployed bomb detectors to the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, ahead of the trial resumption of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, over alleged money laundering.
The bomb detectors who were accompanied by other fully armed operatives of the commission did not allow anyone, including staff of the court to enter the court room until a thorough search for possible explosive items had been conducted.
A Daily Post correspodent who came to court early observed that the search took about 30 minutes before the court room was thrown open to lawyers and newsmen.
All those who have no direct functions were turned back from accessing the court room.
It was noted that the security operatives arrived the court premises as early as 7:30am in various brands of vehicles and swiftly took over security of the court complex from the main gate.
At the entrance of the court 8 where the trial is to be conducted, lawyers to the federal government and the former governor were politely told to exercise patience for routine security to be carried out.
At the end of the search, the court room was opened for only those who had matters in the court room.
As of the time of this report, Yahaya Bello dressed in his usual white babanriga with multi colour cap to match had entered the court room waiting for proceedings to begin.
Reasons for the EFCC actions could not be immediately ascertained but it was reliably gathered that it was part of concerted joint efforts of security agencies to ward off possible threat to orderliness within the court premises by hoodlums.
It will be recalled that the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on Friday, December 13, 2024, granted Bello bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like sum.
He has since been coming for trial from his house.
He is facing an alleged money laundering trial involving N80 billion but has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The defendant is being led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, while the EFCC legal team is headed by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, before Justice Emeka Nwite.
