17th April 2024

Since the incession of the 4th Republic in Nigeria there has emerged a class of citizens whom one can easily describe as Above The Laws. I will not waste time in listing those who have looted, raped and literarily basdardized the economy of the land and are still walking tall in the land. Some are still in government, reoccuring with each administraation as bad pennies which they really are. This is while others are deeply entrenched in the legislatove red and blue chambers. Any attempt to bring them to book is met with absolute and brazen resistance, that the government operative in most cases back down and back off. From there on, the case is tossed up and down and eventually ends up in the trash can. That is as power talks to power and connections meet with connections and compromises are reached and the criminal walks free to continue his nefarous acts.

In the immediate past, it has been Ganduje, the immediate past governor of Kano state. This particular fellows case was so overt as he was caught on camera receiving wads of dollars for whatever reason. Nigerians instantly branded him ‘GanDollars’ Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have hounding him for some time now, the state government is said to have dragged him to court, the home unit of his party was on record as having denounced him, yet guess what, he is still walking around, free as the bird. Of cause you can bet that the allegations of misappropraition of funds do into millions of dollars. But like I said, he is one of those ATLs in Nigeria.

Now, it is the turn of the embarassment of Kogi state. Yaya Bello, the immediate past governor of the state. Operatives of the EFCC stormed his Abuja hom, located in Wuse Zone 4, Federal Capital Territory today. It has been in the news recently that he has been hiding out in the current governor’s abode in a despeate bid to avoid arrest by the government operatives. Media tales also have it that he has reached out to the president Bola Tinubu to save his hide, but from that angle, nothing doing. The most standing of allegations against him has something to do with his nephew, one Ali.

However, more reliable sources from the media circle have ascertained that the EFCC had earlier dragged Yahaya Bello, 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 N84bn money laundering.

Reacting to the development, the ex-governor’s media office, in a statement, condemned the operatives’ actions while urging President Bola Tinubu to caution the EFCC.

According to the statement, the presence of the operatives in Bello’s residence negated the order of injunction granted on February 9, 2024, by the High Court of Justice, Lokoja Division, in Suit No. HCL/68M/2024 between Yahaya Bello v. EFCC, restraining the commission either by itself or its agents from harassing, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting him, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive fundamental rights enforcement action.

The statement read, “The EFCC was duly served with that order on February 12, 2024, and on February 26, 2024, the EFCC filed an appeal (Appeal No.: CA/ABJ/CV/175/2024: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission v. Alhaji Yahaya Bello) against the said order to the Court of Appeal Abuja Division. The appeal was accompanied by a Motion for a Stay of Execution of the order of the High Court, which the Court of Appeal adjourned for hearing till April 22, 2024.

“Furthermore, judgment in the substantive case between Alhaji Yahaya Bello and the EFCC will be delivered at 12 noon today in Lokoja.

“Contrary to all of the above, the EFCC has now laid siege to the home of H.E Yahaya Bello, seeking to arrest him in contravention of the extant orders!

“It is a surprise that an agency led by a lawyer could flagrantly disobey a subsisting court order by taking actions contrary to the reliefs granted.Related News

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“We are aware of the total commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s current administration to the rule of law and can say categorically that the EFCC leadership might have offered the agency on a platter of gold to desperate politicians to convert it to their score-settling tool without minding the effect on its integrity and the image of Nigeria as regards the rule of law.”

The ex-governor’s media office further alleged that the anti-graft agency was plotting to embarrass and harass him through spurious allegations, especially the latest one dating back to September 2015, long before he assumed office.

The anti-graft agency, in the 17-count amended charge, accused Yahaya Bello of money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N84,062,406,089.88.

The EFCC had claimed in the amended charge that the former governor was at large.

Prior to the charge, the EFCC had arraigned Bello’s nephew, Ali Bello, before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for alleged money laundering involving N10bn belonging to the Kogi State Government.

However, the state government faulted the charge, describing it as “ridiculous” and “laughable,” adding that it was impossible, as the former governor was not yet able to access or misappropriate state funds at the said time.

The state government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, had on February 7, 2024, accused the EFCC of being “infested with persons whose intents disagree with the noble intention of ‘Mr. President’ to defeat corruption in Nigeria.”

Count one of the charges reads: “That you, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, Yahaya Adoza Bello (still at large) and Abdulsalam Hudu (still at large), sometime in September, 2015 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80,246,470,089.88 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(b) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended,” the EFCC said in a release sent to SaharaReporters.

“While ex-Governor Yahaya Bello and Hudu are still at large, Ali Bello and Suleiman, first and second defendants respectively, who were present in court “pleaded not guilty” to all the charges when they were read to them.