Immediate past Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, has charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and refrain from intimidation and falsehood.
Yahaya Bello made the appeal yesterday in a statement issued by his media office in a reaction to the commission’s advertorial on Monday signed by its acting director of public affairs, Wilson Uwujaren.
The former governor through Mr Ohiare Michael of the Yahaya Bello Media Office, said Uwujaren, “who we have to believe is not a lawyer, continues the EFCC’s ongoing unconscionable lies against the former governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Yahaya Bello, by labelling him as a fugitive from justice in order to disingenuously justify their established and willful pattern of defying lawful court orders.”
Michael said contrary to Uwujaren’s claims, official records and court documents relating to their hounding of Alhaji Yahaya Bello establish a clear timeline of events. These documents are endorsed with dates and times of filing and payments, which are endorsed on court processes – all of which testify to the true sequence of events.
On EFCC’s disregard for the law, Michael said despite the order, the EFCC, represented by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) and J.S Okutepa (SAN), filed charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024 against Yahaya Bello on March 6th, 2024, in violation of the order.
According to him, the EFCC’s ‘ex parte warrant’ is another false narrative.
He said Uwujaren falsely implied that the EFCC sought a warrant of arrest only after the Kogi State High Court ruling on April 17, 2024.
Miichael said the ruling was at about 2pm, adding that the “records will show that the motion was filed at 8:24 am on April 17, prior to the ruling. And Nigerians would testify to the fact that, at that time, EFCC agents had already laid siege on his residence, attempting his arrest. These are clear occurrences that cannot be denied.”
The former governor also recalled a litany of violations by the commission.
Michael said the commission failed to present the warrant at Yahaya Bello’s residence, stressing that “the warrant itself is invalid, being obtained in defiance of a court order and based on misleading statements, as Alhaji Yahaya Bello is a defendant and not a fleeing suspect or a suspect, having been charged.”
Commenting on the anti-graft agency invitation, the media office said the EFCC claims to have invited Alhaji Yahaya Bello immediately after his tenure ended on January 27, 2024 were not true.
Michael said, “ We challenge the EFCC to produce a copy of this invitation, including the delivery date and the recipient’s name/endorsement. We are confident they cannot provide this simple evidence.
“Preemptive charge: Prior to any alleged invitation, the EFCC amended Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/550/22 on February 5th, 2023, to accuse Yahaya Bello of conspiring to convert over 80 Billion Naira of Kogi State funds in September 2015. This amendment listed Yahaya Bello as “still at large,” demonstrating a clear intention to arrest him.
“Impossible accusations: The alleged timelines provided by the EFCC for its phantasmagorical allegations of crime against Yahaya Bello predates his Inauguration as Governor of Kogi State on January 27th, 2016.
“The second charge even attempts to correct the initial blunder and says the crime was committed in February 2016, less than a month after he became Governor! The total Kogi State budget in 2016 was significantly less than the sum alleged in the charges.
“Seeking protection under the law: To protect his reputation and fundamental rights, Alhaji Yahaya Bello filed Fundamental Rights Enforcement action Suit No. HCL/68M/2024 with the High Court of Justice, Kogi State on February 8th, 2024. Court records, even from the EFCC, all substantiate this.
“Court-ordered restraint: The High Court granted an order restraining the EFCC from inviting, arresting, or prosecuting Alhaji Yahaya Bello pending the determination of the Originating Motion. This order was served on the EFCC on February 12th, 2024.