EFCC Declares Yahaya Bello Wanted

EFCC has declared Yahaya Bello wanted.

Glamtush reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Yahaya Bello wanted for an alleged financial crime to the tune of N80.2 billion.

This online news platform understands that this was contained in a notice posted on the commission’s official Facebook page on Thursday.

The notice read, “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 in connection with alleged case of Money Laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88

“Bello, a 48-year-old Ebira man, is a native of Okenne Local Government of Kogi State.

“His last known address is: 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.”

The notice asked anybody with useful information about the former governor’s whereabouts to contact any of the commission’s offices across the country.

The declaration is the latest in the tussle between Bello and the anti-crime agency.  The chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was absent earlier in the day, Thursday (today) at the Federal High Court in Abuja for a suit instituted against him by the EFCC.

This forced Justice Emeka Nwite to adjourn the suit and for substituted service and possible arraignment of Bello for alleged money laundering.

This was after the EFCC was granted a warrant of arrest by the Federal High Court in Abuja to apprehend the former governor.

The agency’s team of lawyers, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, during the proceedings on Thursday, said that EFCC operatives were prepared to carry out the arrest warrant for the former governor, even if it requires the use of force.

“We have to arraign him in court even if we have to use the military. Immunity is only attached to a person and not the building.

“The law allows to break down walls to arrest an evading defendant. Section 284 says all persons are to obey the service of charge,” Pinheiro stated.

At Bello’s Abuja residence, on Wednesday, a group of armed men, identified as “Special Forces,” along with officers from the Nigeria Police Force, intervened to prevent the EFCC operatives from apprehending him.

Recall that the current governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, intervened to prevent the arrest of the former governor of the state by EFCC operatives.

Ododo’s team escorted Bello out of the location in the governor’s vehicle.

Bello and three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu, will be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite.

They face 19 counts related to money laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,088.88.

Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency called on those with vital information about the former Kogi governor’s whereabouts to reach the commission or the police.

“Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, is wanted by the EFCC for offences relating to economic and financial crimes to the tune of N80.2 Billion,” the EFCC said in a Thursday evening post on its Facebook page it captioned ‘Ex-Gov Yahaya Bello Wanted By the EFCC’.

“Anybody with information as to his whereabouts should report immediately to the Commission or the nearest police Station.”