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‘Where Will You Run To?’ — Tinubu’s Spokesperson Bayo Onanuga Taunts Yahaya Bello
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Bayo Onanuga is reacting to Yahaya Bello’s legal trouble.
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Bello is standing trial over alleged financial crimes valued at N80 billion.
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The Kogi governor has been declared wanted by the EFCC.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has taunted an embattled former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, after he was declared wanted to answer for his alleged N80 billion financial crimes.
The president’s spoksperson reacted to the former governor’s legal trouble in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday night.
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Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) earlier on Thursday evening.
The anti-graft commission has asked anyone with useful information on Bello’s whereabouts to contact the commission or the nearest police station.
“The public is hereby notified that YAHAYA ADOZA BELLO (former Governor of Kogi State), whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with alleged case of Money Laundering to the tune of 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),” statement reads.
“Bello, 48-year old Ebiraman, is a native of Okenne Local Government of Kogi State. His last known address is: 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.”
Bayo Onanuga
Reacting to development, Onanuga advised Bello to submit himself to the EFCC and employ a “good lawyer”, wondering where he would run to.
“Yahaya Bello, where will you run to? It’s better you submit yourself to the EFCC and get a good lawyer,” the president’s spokesperson wrote in a now-deleted tweet.
Bayo Onanuga’s tweet taunting Yahaya Bello
Meanwhile, some X users criticised Onanuga’s comment, saying it might create an idea of a witch-hunt.
One X user, Rufus Ohiani, even claimed, without evidence, that the presidency is behind Bello’s ordeal.
“Now it’s clear the presidency are truly fighting Yahaya Bello as alleged,” Ohiani wrote.
A presidential spokesperson?
Now it’s clear the presidency are truly fighting Yahaya Bello as alleged. https://t.co/Wom2ZOmxHN— Ohiani 📸 📌 (@RufusOhiani) April 18, 2024
X user, Rufus Ohiani, accused the presidency of engineering Yahaya Bello’s legal trouble after Bayo Onanuga’s tweet taunting him
An APC member, Jeff Phillips, also questioned the presidential spokesperson’s competence.
“Is this man really Tinubu’s spokesman or just one banger boy hanging around Aso Rock?” Phillips wrote in response to Onanuga’s comment about Bello.
Is this man really Tinubu's spokesman or just one banger boy hanging around Aso Rock? https://t.co/Dix9Ud0De9
— Souljah (@jeffphilips1) April 18, 2024
APC member, Jeff Phillips, calling out Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesperson
One Dami Yakubu also expressed no surprise for how Onanuga tweets “without regard for his position as a spokesperson for the Presidency.”
Not surprised by how Bayo Onanuga tweets without regard for his position as a spokesperson for the Presidency.
— dami. (@DamiYakubu) April 18, 2024
Dami Yakubu criticising Bayo Onanuga
On Wednesday, some EFCC operatives barricaded Bello’s Abuja residence.
Some hours after, Kogi Governor, Usman Ododo, who is mostly known for kneeling before Bello after he won the election to the office, arrived at the former governor’s residence and was said to have left with him in his vehicle.
But Abdulwahab Muhammed, Bello’s lawyer, said his client was in his state when the EFCC operatives besieged his residence.
Bello was absent in court earlier on Thursday when the EFCC arraigned him.
His arraignment came after a warrant of arrest and enrolment order was granted to the EFCC by the court on Wednesday.
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“It is needful to state that Bello is not above the law and would be brought to justice as soon as possible,” EFCC said in a statement on Wednesday.
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