Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello's plea to withdraw the arrest warrant issued against him by the court. The judge stated that Bello's repeated failure to appear for arraignment in a criminal case constituted contempt of court and thus did not warrant any leniency.

In his ruling delivered on Friday regarding Bello's application to cancel the arrest warrant, the court emphasized that Bello's persistent absence demonstrated a lack of respect for the judicial process. The judge underscored that Bello could not expect the court to accommodate his disregard for legal proceedings. The court dismissed Bello's request because he could not dictate terms to the court from the comfort of his home and reiterated that he must appear for arraignment before any further actions could be taken.

Furthermore, the judge rejected Bello's argument challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear the criminal charges against him. Justice Nwite emphasized that Bello must first present himself for arraignment and enter a plea before addressing any jurisdictional issues. Bello had contended on April 23 that the arrest warrant was unnecessary since his lead counsel had accepted service of the criminal charges on his behalf. However, the court's decision underscores the importance of Bello's personal appearance for arraignment before any legal proceedings can proceed.