After months of hiding and shunning of a raft of court summons to face corruption charges, which bother on money laundering running into billions of naira, former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has surrendered himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Penpushing reports that sources from the agency said the embattled former Governor said to have been shielded by his successor Governor Usman Ododo to evade arrest, arrived at the commission’s headquarters, at about 1pm accompanied by his private security details.
The source who preferred anonymity confirmed the appearance of Bello, who he said was not accompanied by Governor Usman Ododo, as he did earlier in September, when Bello made a controversial surrender to the commission in Abuja
Penpushing further reports that the source as at the time of filing this report said there are likelihood that the former Governor maybe detained overnight as one of his trials is scheduled to come up before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Wednesday.
The former Governor it is recalled alongside his successor on September 18, 2024, made a dramatic, controversial attempt to surrender himself at Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC’s) headquarters in Abuja.
Penpushing also reports that commission, however, refused to arrest him and thereafter attempted, on the same day, to apprehend him at the Kogi State Government Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, where he was being sheltered by Governor Ododo.
The encounter, it is recalled resulted in hours-long shootout following a confrontation that reportedly ensued between Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives and the Governor’s security details, while the runaway former governor escaped from the scene in Ododo’s convoy amid the chaos that erupted.
Penpushing reports that the former Governor is facing money laundering charges involving N80 billion in Kogi State funds at the Federal High Court in Abuja, and has shunned a series of court summons to appear for arraignment since April.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in late September filed fresh corruption charges against the former Governor at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, accusing him of dishonestly diverting more than N110 billion from the Kogi State Government’s treasury while he was governor for eight years.
Penpushing further reports that as at the time of filing the report the spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale was yet to issue out any official statement on the development.
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