SAHARA REPORTERS
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday succumbed to pressure and therefore could not detain former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello when he visited the headquarters of the anti-graft commission, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Bello had previously been declared wanted over allegations of money laundering and corruption to the tune of N80.2 billion. However, he finally honoured the EFCC’s invitation, accompanied by Kogi Governor Usman Ododo and others.
Meanwhile, his visit to the EFCC has been plagued by controversy with the spokesperson for the anti-graft agency denying reports that the former governor was in their custody.
“The Commission wishes to state that Bello is not in its custody,” he said, adding that Bello “remains wanted with a subsisting warrant for his arrest”.
However, the director of Bello’s media team, Ohiare Michael, swiftly responded that his principal indeed visited the EFCC office but was asked to leave with being interrogated.
Michael said, “Earlier today, we reported the voluntary visit of former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission office to honour the Commission’s invitation.
“In the statement, we reiterated the former Governor’s great respect for the rule of law and constituted authority and stressed that all the while, he only sought the enforcement of his fundamental rights in order to ensure due process.
“The EFCC did not, however, interrogate him as officials told him he could leave. We don’t know what this means yet. As we write, Yahaya Bello has left the EFCC office. He was accompanied there by the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo.”
However, sources told SaharaReporters that Bello was allowed to go due to political pressure.
Earlier on Wednesday, following Bello’s visit to the EFCC, SaharaReporters reported that there was mounting pressure on the anti-corruption agency to release former Kogi State governor.
According to sources, Bello’s appearance at the EFCC was the result of a negotiation between his camp and President Bola Tinubu’s camp, as the president aims to demonstrate his commitment to fighting corruption.
“There is a lot of pressure on the agency. The Inspector General of Police is also involved and Bello’s Chief Security Officer they claimed was arrested for bungling his arrest was never detained contrary to what they told the public,” one of the sources earlier told SaharaReporters.
“He had hunkered down at the State House in Lokoja and stayed also at the liaison office of the Kogi State since he went into hiding. Today’s appearance was negotiated between Tinubu and Yahaya Bello’s camp,” a source had also explained.
But following the controversy surrounding his visit, SaharaReporters learnt that the EFCC claimed that Bello honoured its invitation on Wednesday because its operatives had monitored and located him in Abuja.
“Yahaya Bello actually went to EFCC but due to pressure, they could not detain him. Now they are claiming that he only came because they monitored him and located him in Abuja. And that he will be trailed to his hideout tonight and arrested,” a source said. “This is a lie.”
However, efforts to reach the spokesperson for the EFCC, Mr Oyewale, for comments failed as his mobile line was switched off.
Bello’s media office stated that he honoured the invitation after consulting with his family, legal team, and political allies, and that he has nothing to hide.
But it’s worth noting that Bello had previously resisted arrest and shunned multiple EFCC invitations, leading to a dramatic scene at his Abuja residence. The EFCC had obtained a warrant for his arrest, but his successor, Governor Usman Ododo, intervened to prevent the arrest.
The development comes as Bello faces a 19-count charge of alleged money laundering, with his trial adjourned to September 25.
The EFCC has said it is keen to prosecute Bello, with Chairman Ola Olukoyede personally inviting him for interrogation.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on August 20 ordered Bello to present himself for arraignment.
The court had also restrained Bello from taking further action in the case until his arraignment.
Additionally, the court set aside the judgment previously delivered by the Kogi State High Court.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Bello’s whereabouts had been officially unknown since the EFCC attempted to arrest him during a raid on his Abuja residence.
Governor Ododo had scuttled attempts by EFCC’s operatives to arrest Bello from his residence in Abuja.
The EFCC is prosecuting Bello for alleged criminal diversion and money laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 while he was in office as Kogi State Governor.
SaharaReporters reported on April 18 that the anti-corruption agency had filed 19 criminal counts before a Federal High Court in Abuja against the former governor, bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
The charge filed at the Federal High Court 9, with charge FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024, dated March 9, 2024, has Yahaya Adoza Bello as the sole Defendant while the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the complainant.
The EFCC in the charge papers obtained by SaharaReporters, accused the ex-governor of converting N80,246,470,089.88 belonging to the Kogi State government in February 2016 to himself, an offence which is contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.
Bello was also accused of indirectly using one Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu to launder the sum of N950 million being proceeds of crime for the acquisition of a property at No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.
THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN SAHARA REPORTERS
