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Yahaya Bello Eludes EFCC For 107 Days, Still Wanted
Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello remains on the run 107 days after being declared wanted by the EFCC for alleged money laundering involving over ₦80 billion.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, remains on the run 107 days after being declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
On April 18, 2024, the EFCC declared Bello wanted in connection with an alleged money laundering case involving ₦80,246,470,089.88. A day earlier, armed men identified as ‘Special Forces’ and some policemen had prevented EFCC operatives from arresting Bello at his Wuse Zone 4, Abuja residence.
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The current governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, reportedly rushed to Bello’s house and escorted him out.
The EFCC had obtained a warrant of arrest from a Federal High Court in Abuja to apprehend the former governor. Bello, along with three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu, was supposed to be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite on 19 counts related to money laundering. However, the EFCC’s inability to arrest Bello stalled the arraignment.
Austin Okai, the House of Representatives candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency in the 2023 elections, claimed on June 21 that Bello was hiding in the state Government House in Lokoja. This contradicted earlier reports that Bello had been smuggled out of the country after the raid on his house.
However, the EFCC has continued a manhunt for Bello, who had refused to surrender himself for arrest.
Speaking on the matter, the Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the EFCC was not ready to arrest Bello.
According to him, the anti-corruption agency has sophisticated equipment to track and arrest Bello.
Yahaya Bello EFCC 107 Days
Nwanguma, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said, “It is surprising that despite all the hot waves and drama of the EFCC, including the vow of the chairman that he would resign if he couldn’t arrest Yahaya Bello, the man is still out there more than three months after he was declared wanted.
“If they truly wanted to arrest Yahaya Bello, they would have arrested him. If this was a case of a poor man, they would have easily arrested him.”
However, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, dismissed the insinuation that the agency had been compromised or unwilling to arrest the former governor.
Oyewale maintained that Bello remained wanted until arrested.
He said, “The matter is in court and there are various orders of the court. Senior lawyers who failed to bring him (Bello) to court are already slated for discipline.
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“If an anti-corruption agency declares a suspect wanted, all over the world, he remains wanted until he is arrested.
“Yahaya Bello has been declared wanted and he remains wanted. Judicial processes have been instituted in court and they are ongoing.”
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