Human rights activist and legal luminary Femi Falana has emphasized that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) possesses the legal mandate to apprehend and prosecute former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello.
Falana underscored that Bello, having forfeited his immunity, is now susceptible to arrest and prosecution by the EFCC.
The assertion comes in the wake of Wednesday’s events, where EFCC operatives descended on Bello’s Abuja residence in a bid to arrest him as part of an ongoing probe into financial irregularities.
Despite Bello’s evasion facilitated by his successor, Governor Usman Ododo, Falana contends that the legal foundation for such actions stands firm, despite potential challenges.
Referencing Section 35(1)(c) of the Nigerian constitution, Falana reiterated that law enforcement agencies, including both the police and anti-graft bodies like the EFCC, retain the authority to detain suspects upon reasonable suspicion of criminal wrongdoing.
In a statement he signed, Falana said: “As a former governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello has lost his immunity from arrest and prosecution. No court can confer a life immunity on a former governor in Nigeria.
“By virtue of Section 35(1)(c) of the Constitution, the police, anti-graft agencies, and other prosecutorial bodies cannot be prevented by a court of law from arresting a criminal suspect once there is reasonable suspicion that he or she has committed a criminal offence.
