Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has denounced an attempt by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to forcefully arrest him on Wednesday night.
A press statement, the third by his media office on Wednesday on his ongoing battle with the EFCC, said operatives of the anti-graft agency surrounded the Kogi State Government Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, and repeatedly fired shots in their bid to arrest him on Wednesday night.
The statement did not categorically say that the former governor, who appears to still have a strong relationship with his successor, Governor Usman Ododo, was spending the night at the Kogi State Governor’s Lodge.
Apparently nonplussed by the EFCC's overnight action, the statement said the commission refused to contact him for questioning after he surrendered earlier on Wednesday.
“Tonight's attack was unnecessary as the former governor made himself available to the EFCC in his office for questioning. The EFCC had no questions to ask Alh. Yahaya Bello in the morning but suddenly, they are out to arrest him.
“This action is condemnable. They have demonstrated the reason why many Nigerians believe that they were fighting political battles instead of fulfilling the mandate of fighting corruption. This action reflects much more than the fight against corruption,” the statement reads in part.
PREMIUM TIMES was unable to reach EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, for comments as he did not respond to repeated calls by our reporter to his phone on Wednesday.
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So far, the EFCC had issued a terse two-paragraph statement, in which it merely denied that Bello was not in its custody.
He did not confirm or deny whether Bello turned himself in at his headquarters and refused to arrest him on Wednesday.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the gaps in the EFCC statement left matters unclear and surely triggered speculations as to why it let the former governor go on Wednesday despite its months of frantic but fruitless efforts to arrest him.
This newspaper also reported that since the trial is scheduled to resume in a week, the public can only guess what the EFCC will do next unless it provides more elaborate explanations.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Wednesday’s development came a week before the return date set by the Federal High Court in Abuja for Mr Bello’s arraignment.
At the last hearing in July, trial judge Emeka Nwite adjourned the case until 25 September after dismissing an application by Mr Bello's legal team to order a stay of proceedings.
The EFCC charged Bello with 19 counts of money laundering allegedly involving N80 billion of Kogi State funds before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The commission filed the charges after Bello completed his second and final term as governor in January.
The commission alleged in the charges that the former governor diverted over N80 billion from the treasury of the Kogi State Government as governor of Kogi State.
A nephew of the former governor, Ali Bello, is being tried alongside others in a related case also at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
However, since the charges were filed against Mr. Bello, the commission has been unable to bring him before the court for prosecution.
He has evaded six court sessions scheduled for his arraignment, as he intensifies his legal efforts, including filing legal actions before the trial judge, the Kogi State High Court and the Court of Appeal, to stop the trial.
At one point, he wrote to the presiding judge of the Federal High Court, Mr John Tsoho, to transfer the case to the Lokoja Division of the court. But the presiding judge rejected the application and asked him to refer it to the trial judge. The trial judge, Mr Nwite, similarly rejected the application.
In April, the EFCC declared him wanted after a failed attempt to arrest him at his residence in Abuja.
Mr Bello said earlier on Wednesday that he was accompanied by Governor Ododo to honour the invitation of the EFCC at the commission's headquarters in Abuja but was asked to leave.
His media team shared video clips and photographs showing him with Mr Ododo at what appeared to be the EFCC premises on Wednesday.
In the short video clip, Mr Bello appeared unfazed and beaming with smiles, as Mr Ododo stood next to him during an encounter with some men in suits.
Read the former governor's press release here.
YAHAYA BELLO PRESS OFFICE
PRESS RELEASE
DESPITE VOLUNTARY VISIT, EFCC OFFICIALS SURROUND GOVERNMENT LODGE IN KOGI, ABUJA, IN ATTEMPT TO FORCEDLY ARREST FORMER GOVERNOR YAHAYA BELLO, FIRE GUNS
1. It has come to our attention that persons suspected to be agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are currently in the vicinity of the Kogi Government Lodge, Asokoro, in an attempt to forcibly arrest former Governor Yahaya Bello. They were shooting sporadically.
2. It was earlier reported that the former Governor went to the EFCC Office voluntarily earlier today but was told by the Commission to leave and return at a later date, only to mount a Gestapo-style attack on the Kogi State Government premises in Asokoro.
3. We wish to state on record that the EFCC must be held accountable if anything untoward happens to it.
4. Tonight’s attack was unnecessary as the former governor made himself available to the EFCC in his office for questioning. The EFCC had no questions to ask Alh. Yahaya Bello in the morning, but suddenly, they moved to arrest him.
5. This action is condemnable. They have demonstrated the reason why many Nigerians believe that they were fighting political battles instead of fulfilling the mandate of fighting corruption. This action reflects much more than the fight against corruption.
5. We will keep Nigerians informed.
Ohiare MichaelMedia Director