By Abiola Olawale
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has vowed to resign from his position if the anti-graft agency can’t prosecute former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
The EFCC chairman, who addressed journalists at the agency’s headquarters located in Jabi, Abuja, on Tuesday, April 23, swore to follow the prosecution of Bello to its logical conclusion.
He also vowed to arrest anyone obstructing the anti-graft agency from prosecuting the ex-governor.
Mr Olukayode said that no matter what anyone does or the number of attacks against the anti-graft agency, he and his men will not relent in helping to sanitise the country.
He said that investigation revealed how Bello allegedly withdrew $720,000 from the government account to a Bureau de Change, to pay for his child’s school fees in advance.
The New Diplomat reports that the EFCC has slammed 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds to N80.2 billion, against Bello.
However, all efforts to arraign the former governor before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja have failed, as Bello continues to evade arrest.
Operatives of the EFCC last week laid a siege to Bello’s residence in Abuja. However, he failed to surrender himself to the EFCC and was allegedly helped by his successor, Governor Usman Ododo, to escape from the net of the anti-graft agency. But the Kogi State government has denied the allegation.
Following the development, the EFCC approached the Federal High Court in Abuja and obtained an arrest warrant against Bello.
The EFCC also declared Bello wanted, while the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) withdrew all its operatives from the former governor.
Bello has asserted that the EFCC has no right to arrest him, waving a court order granted by the High Court in Kogi State, which restrained the EFCC from arresting, prosecuting, or detaining him.
