By Abiola Olawale
After resisting arrest on Wednesday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared the immediate past governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello.
The anti-graft agency made this known in a statement posted on its official social media pages.
The statement reads: “Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, is wanted by the EFCC for offences relating to economic and financial crimes to the tune of N80.2 bn.
“Anybody with information as to his whereabouts should report immediately to the commission or the nearest police station,” the notice read.
In a related development, the EFCC said that it will request the services of the Military should the immediate past governor of Kogi State continue to resist arrest.
The anti-graft agency, during court proceedings on Thursday vowed to arrest the former Governor in all possible ways and bring him before the Federal High Court Abuja for arraignment and to answer to the charges preferred against him.
The anti-graft agency, while addressing the court on Thursday through its team of lawyers led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, stressed that operatives would execute the arrest warrant against the former governor even if it has to be done by the use of force.
Pinheiro during his argument before the court said the EFCC is aware that Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State is hiding his predecessor in his house and the anti-graft agency is ready to storm the Governor’s residence to pick Bello.
The legal counsel of the EFCC said the anti-graft agency is ready to pull down the walls of Ododo’s residence to arrest Bello.
Pinheiro said: “We have to arraign him in court even if we have to use the military. Immunity is only attached to a person and not the building.
“The law allows us to break down walls to arrest an evading defendant. Section 284 says all persons are to obey the service of charge.”
“My Lord, I have made an oral application, and I tried to get him arrested yesterday but was prevented by someone with immunity.
“My Lord, what happened yesterday was that he was whisked away by a person with immunity, and we know he is in the home of that person. We will send security agents there to get him even if we have to break in because immunity is not attached to a building.
“If he wants to play games, we will show him that the Constitution is above every individual, and you cannot fight the Constitution.
“A former President of the United States was charged to court, and he has been appearing for his trial. He did not file all sorts of things to frustrate the case.
“A former governor is filing a fundamental human rights suit. If he says he is innocent, let him come and prove it instead of filing frivolous applications to delay his trial.”
It would be recalled that the EFCC had earlier dragged the former governor, his nephew Ali, one Dauda Sulaiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in an amended charge in March 2024 over an alleged N80bn money laundering.
In the amended charges, the EFCC alleged that the suspects diverted about N80 billion belonging to the Kogi state government.
The New Diplomat reports that the operatives of the EFCC had gone all out on Wednesday, laying siege at Bello’s residence in Abuja, in an attempt to arrest him ahead of his arraignment before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
However, his successor, the incumbent Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo helped him evade the planned arrest.
