Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC stormed the Kogi government lodge on Wednesday night in a bid to arrest the former governor, Yahaya Bello.
DAILY GIST reports that the former governor was accused of money laundering amount to N80.2 billion while in office
Bello had gone into hiding for nearly five months after he was declared wanted by the anti-graft agency.
Efforts to arrest Bello at his Abuja residence in April was said to have been frustrated due to Kogi State Governor, Mr Usman Ododo, who was alleged to have shielded Bello and had since offered him refuge at Government House, Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
The former governor, however made a surprise public appearance at the office of the anti-graft agency in Abuja earlier on Wednesday
With videos and photographs of his visit to the commission, his media aide, Mr. Micheal Ohiare, stated that Bello’s decision to surrender himself to EFCC was after due consultation with his family, legal team, and political allies.
Few hours later, the media office, in an update, said Bello was not quizzed by operatives of the anti-graft agency and he had, subsequently, left the commission’s premises alongside his entourage.
Responding, EFCC, although, did not acknowledge or deny Bello’s visit to its headquarters on account of an invitation. It stated that Bello remained a wanted person.
A statement by EFCC’s Head, Media and Publicity, Mr. Dele Oyewale, stated that the former governor was not in their custody.
However, few hours to midnight, the anti-graft agency, which had allowed Bello to leave after his purported visit in the morning, made a U-turn and was now seeking to arrest the former governor.
Ohiare stated in a fresh statement sent to journalists yesterday night, “It has come to our notice that people suspected to be operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are currently around the Kogi Government Lodge, Asokoro, in an attempt to forcefully arrest former Governor Yahaya Bello.
“They were shooting sporadically.”
The media aide condemned the alleged siege, and pointed out that the action was coming after the former governor went to the EFCC office voluntarily earlier in the day but the commission told him to leave and come at a later date, only to mount a gestapo-like attack on the Kogi State Government facility in Asokoro.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had in July adjourned till September 25 for arraignment of the former governor, after refusing Bello’s request to defer his arraignment to the proceedings at the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
Following an application by the EFCC, Nwite on April 17 issued a bench warrant for arrest of the former governor.
However, Bello through his team of lawyers led by Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, had been challenging the jurisdiction of the court to order their client’s arrest as well as other decisions made by the court.
Bello had also resisted arrest on the grounds that a Kogi State High Court had restrained the commission from arresting and prosecuting him over corruption allegations.
The order had since been voided by the Court of Appeal.
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