Fleeing former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello finally honours EFCC invitation
The decision to comply with the invitation was made after consultations with his family, legal team, and political allies
Former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has finally honored an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to a statement from his media office on Wednesday, the decision to comply with the invitation was made after consultations with his family, legal team, and political allies.
In April 2024, the EFCC, in a widely publicized statement, declared the embattled for Kogi governor wanted in connection with an alleged money laundering.
The statement read, ”The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, April 18, 2024 declared a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello wanted in connection with an alleged money laundering.”
The declaration by the EFCC came after Bello reportedly ignored several invitations and resisted arrest.
Also, the EFCC officials had attempted to arrest Bello at his residence in Abuja, but they faced a standoff.
After hours of being unable to apprehend him, the security operatives, with support from the Police and Department of State Services (DSS), were planning to forcefully arrest Bello when Governor Usman Ododo, Bello’s successor, arrived at the scene.
Ododo left the scene after a while, and as he was departing, reports came in that Bello was in his vehicle, prompting security operatives to open fire.
Since the incident on April 17, 2024, Bello had not been seen in public.
A week later, the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, revealed that he had made personal efforts to invite the former governor to respond to investigations regarding his alleged involvement in money laundering amounting to N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty-Nine Naira, Eighty-Eight Kobo).
During a meeting with media executives at the Corporate Headquarters of the EFCC in Jabi, Abuja, Olukoyede recounted his attempts to reach out to Bello and offer him opportunities to present himself for interrogation by EFCC investigators.
“On my honour, I put a call to him to honour him as a former governor. He said, I can’t come, claiming that a certain lady has surrounded the EFCC with over 100 Journalists to embarrass or intimidate him and all that stuff. I said if that is your fear, I will make you come directly to my floor. I will invite my operatives to interrogate you in my own office. What could be more honourable than that? Do you know what he said? ‘Can’t they come to my village?’ My Director of Investigations also sent a message to him.”
Bello had consistently denied the allegations through statements from his media team.
In the recent statement from the Yahaya Bello Media Office, it was expressed that they hope the Commission will handle the matter professionally and respect Bello’s fundamental rights as a citizen of Nigeria.
The statement also mentioned that details of Bello’s engagement with the EFCC operatives would be disclosed later.
As of now, the EFCC has not provided any reaction to these developments. …Continue Reading
