The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared former Governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello wanted, and this was contained in a public notice made available on Thursday in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Penpushing reports that the commission in the public notice said Bello failed to appear for his arraignment on N80 billion money laundering charges scheduled to take place at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
‘The public is hereby notified that YAHAYA ADOZA BELLO (former Governor of Kogi State), whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with alleged case of Money Laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty-Nine Naira, Eighty-Eight Kobo). Bello, 48-year-old Ebiraman, is a native of Okenne Local Government of Kogi State. His last known address is: 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja’, the notice reads
Penpushing further reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier on Wednesday obtained a court warrant for the former Governor’s arrest, but could not execute it, while efforts to effect his arrest at his Wuse Zone 4, Abuja residence was fruitless
The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spent about seven hours, but later suspected that the former Governor was aided out secretly by his successor and incumbent Governor Usman Ododo with his official car.
Penpushing also reports that the agency prosecutor, Kemi Pinheiro, said following the reluctancy of the former Governor to face the court over alleged crime, the government would not mind inviting the military to bring him to court.
The prosecutor, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), leading Jibrin Okutepa, also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) , for the prosecution, explained that a bloodbath was averted on account of the anti-graft agency’s professionalism in handling the stand-off between operatives who were trying to arrest Bello and the police officers attached to the residence obstructing the former governor’s arrest.
Penpushing reports that legal practitioner, however, clarified that while Governor Ododo enjoys immunity from prosecution, pointing out that his predecessor, (Bello), has since lost his immunity and must be brought before the court.
The prosecutor referencing section 12 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 declared that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may have no other option than to use military to produce the runaway former Governor.
‘We will invite the military if need be to produce the defendant (Mr Bello) in court. Immunity does not attach to a home; it attaches to a person. We will produce the defendant in court’, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria emphasised
Penpushing further reports in reaction to the development the former Governor’s counsel, Abdulwahab Muhammed, argued that his client was not in breach of any court order, citing an order of a High Court in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, restraining the commission from arresting and detaining his client.
Meanwhile, the defence lawyer who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) argued that an appeal on the suit was pending at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
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