By Milcah Tanimu
The arraignment of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello on alleged N82 billion fraud charges took a heated turn on Wednesday when a confrontation erupted between two senior advocates in court.
Representing Bello, Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, clashed with Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, who appeared for the federal government.
The dispute began when Mohammed announced his appearance for Bello but omitted his colleague, Adeola Adedipe, SAN. Pinheiro objected, arguing that Adedipe should be included in the proceedings until formally discharged by the court.
Adedipe interrupted, asserting his unwillingness to participate in the case. Mohammed then interjected, stating that Adedipe had filed a notice of withdrawal from the proceedings.
As Justice Emeka Nwite prepared to rule on the matter of appearances, Bello’s lawyer requested permission to leave the proceedings if the ruling proceeded. Mohammed, visibly angry, accused Pinheiro of misleading the court and refused to apologize, threatening to leave the courtroom if the judge continued with the ruling.
With tensions escalating, Justice Emeka Nwite abruptly ended the session by walking out to his chambers.
At the time of this report, the courtroom atmosphere remained highly charged.