EFCC mustn’t bow to Ododo’s pressure over Yahaya Bello

It is shameful and laughable that the immediate past governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello accused of laundering a whopping N80.2billion while in office and later declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC months ago, continues to evade arrest on account of the shield around him by Ahmed Usman Ododo the incumbent governor of the state in flagrant disobedience of the rule of law.

We strongly believe that both Bello and Ododo can’t be above the law and the latter should be told in clear terms, by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, that he lacks the powers to obstruct the course of justice and prevent the EFCC from performing its statutory functions among them, investigation of all financial crimes including advance fee fraud, money laundering, counterfeiting, illegal fund transfers, futures market fraud, contract scam as well as the coordination and enforcement of all economic and financial crimes laws.

It is therefore very worrisome and unfortunate that a sitting governor, who swore to defend the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and thwarted the commission’s attempt to arrest Bello in Abuja in April this year ahead of his arraignment will again, brazenly assume the ignoble role of leading his successor to the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja on September 18, a visit that was meant for “the former governor to now honour the invitation of the EFCC to clear his name, as he has nothing to hide and nothing to fear”.

Perhaps trying to avert a possible showdown with Ododo’s security details, the EFCC operatives didn’t interrogate Bello or detain him but rather asked the ‘sacred cow’ to report another day. Curiously however, officials of the Commission hours later the same day, laid siege to the Kogi governor’s lodge in Asokoro, Abuja to effect the arrest of the politician only to meet yet another resistance, and like the first attempt, the mission ended in a fiasco and luckily no life was lost after heavy shooting.

It is a complete disservice to Nigerians that the Bola Tinubu administration has the rule of law as one of the cardinal objectives of its Renewed Hope Agenda and a former chairman of the EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as the National Security Adviser should condone such impunity and brazen affront to the rule of law by Governor Ododo whose security guards also take orders directly from the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun ostensibly because he is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

In our opinion, there must not be any sacred cow in the fight against corruption, as Bello’s case has revealed and we wish to draw  the attention of the federal government and its law enforcement agencies to the immortal words of the third President of the United States of America, Thomas Jefferson that: “The most sacred of the duties of a government [is] to do equal and impartial justice to all citizens.”

In other words, there must not be any hurdle on the path of the EFCC in its determination to perform its statutory duties and bring Bello to justice, and arrest him ahead of arraignment for the accused to have his day in court like other citizens, under a conducive atmosphere to face the money laundering charges preferred against him.

We believe the time is ripe for the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, who is passionate about the Commission’ s determination to intensify the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption without let or hindrance to immediately investigate his officers over the botched attempts to arrest the former Kogi governor on two occasions as well as send a strongly worded petition to the IGP regarding the challenges in trying to arrest Bello.

This is particularly imperative because economic and financial crimes as well as all forms of corruption should be the concern of all Nigerians and not just a problem of the EFCC if the war against the vices must be fought and won squarely.

Recall that, a show of shame to our democracy and disgrace to Nigeria played out on national live television on Wednesday, April 17, 2024

when Bello, in connivance with Ododo ensured that the former evaded arrest by the EFCC operatives despite an arrest warrant obtained by the Commission from an Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite.

The former Kogi governor, who had a subsisting order from a High Court in Lokoja protecting him from arrest, then cried out to President Bola Tinubu to “call the EFCC to order”, while his supporters had formed human shield around Bello’s Abuja home to protect him from EFCC operatives. Regrettably, just like the drama that played out recently, his successor, Governor Ododo, later stormed the residence in his convoy and spirited him away.

We note with concern that whereas Bello is yet to be formally arraigned in court, adjourned proceedings on the alleged money laundering case instituted by the Commission against Bello, will resume on Wednesday, September 25 at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, had fixed the new date while delivering a ruling in an application for a stay of proceedings by Bello’s lead counsel, Mohammed AbdulWahab, who had filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal emanating from the arrest warrant.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo created the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies to bring such former office-holders to book when their immunities expire as part of measures to reduce stealing in public offices. Specifically, the EFCC Establishment Act which was first enacted by the National Assembly in 2002 and amended in 2004 empowers the Commission to prevent, investigate, prosecute and penalize economic and financial crimes in addition to the responsibility of executing the provisions of other laws and regulations that are related to economic and financial crimes.

Consequently, we demand that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as the chief law officer of the country, should immediately ask Governor Ododo to stop his current interference in this case and not frustrate the work of the EFCC since Bello has lost his immunity against criminal prosecution the day he left office in January this year and allow his successor defend himself against allegations of money laundering leveled by the Commission. The National Judicial Council and the IGP are also enjoined to take an active interest in the unfolding drama involving former Governor Yahaya Bello and his successor with the view to bring erring officials to book.

For a better society

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