The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared former Governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello wanted.
The commission issued the public notice declaring Mr Bello wanted after he failed to appear for his arraignment on N80 billion money laundering charges scheduled to take place at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
“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,” an EFCC’s public notice released Thursday read in part.
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Earlier on Wednesday, the commission had obtained a court warrant for his arrest, but could not execute it.
The commission made futile efforts to execute the arrest warrant at his residence in Abuja on Wednesday.
The anti-graft agency’s operatives which had arrived Mr Bello’s residence in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, were obstructed by police personnel attached to the house.
The stand-off which lasted about seven hours after it was suspected that the incumbent Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo had sneeked Mr Bello out of the house in his official car.
‘Military can be invited’
Furious about Mr Bello’s failure to attend court on Thursday for arraignment, EFCC prosecutor, Kemi Pinheiro, said the government would not mind inviting the military to bring him to court.
Mr Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), leading Jibrin Okutepa, also a SAN, for the prosecution, said a “bloodbath” was averted on account of the anti-graft agency’s professionalism in handling the stand-off between EFCC operatives who were trying to arrest Mr Bello and the police officers attached to the residence obstructing the former governor’s arrest.
The prosecuting lawyer clarified that while Mr Ododo enjoys immunity from prosecution, his predecessor, Mr Bello, has since lost his immunity and must be brought before the court.
Referencing section 12 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, Mr Pinheiro said, “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.”
But Mr Bello’s lawyer, Abdulwahab Muhammed, said his client was not in breach of any court order.
Mr Muhammed, a SAN, cited an order of a High Court in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, restraining the EFCC from arresting and detaining his client.
Also, the defence lawyer argued that an appeal on the suit was pending at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Long running probe
EFCC is finally bringing Mr Bello to trial, accusing him of money laundering involving over N80 billion, after years of beaming searchlight on him and family members.
The commission’s longtime investigations of the former governor had resulted in the N10 billion money laundering charges it instituted against his nephew, Ali Bello, and a co-defendant in 2022.
The prosecution named former Governor Bello in one of the newly introduced counts as an accomplice, but not as a defendant.
In the count, the EFCC accused Mr Bello of conspiring with Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdusalam Hudu to convert over N80 billion belonging to Kogi State to their personal use. The case, which has seen EFCC call witnesses to testify, is before Justice James Omotosho.
New case
But in what appears to be a fresh case, the EFCC filed a charge of 19 counts against Mr Bello.
The case also features the names of the same set of alleged accomplices as the old case.
The alleged offences also hover around the over N80 billion transactions alleged in the old case.
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But the commission has now modified the date of the alleged offences to be February 2016, which is Mr Bello’s first month in office as governor, instead of September 2015 that was stated in the old charge.
In the new case, the EFCC accused Mr Bello, his nephew, Ali Bello; Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu (said to still be at large) of conspiring to convert the total sum of N80 billion (N80, 246,470, 088.88) in February 2016.
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