As the ongoing legal saga surrounding Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State in Nigeria continues, it raises significant debate over legal procedures and the role of the law enforcement agencies.
During an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, THISDAY lawyer, Onikepo Braithwaite, weighed in on the controversy surrounding the case, saying that no law mandates a formal invitation from the EFCC before he presents himself for investigation.
“This issue of saying you were invited or you were not invited or you have to be invited, I don’t quite understand. What the constitution says is that once there is reasonable suspicion, you can be arrested. In this case, it appears that charges had already been filed against Yahaya Bello before he went to the Kogi High court to get the interim order. I think they are within their rights. There’s nothing in any law that says you have to be invited. What the law says is that if you are caught committing an offence, then, they don’t need to tell you because you’re caught in the act or you’re escaping from the scene.”
The lawyer stated that she sees no wrongdoing by the EFCC in the case.
“I can’t really see where EFCC has gone wrong so far in this case. He had already been charged and they tried to amend those charges at the Federal High court and then he went to the Kogi high court to obtain an interim order.”
She also opined that Bello’s actions suggest an attempt to avoid facing justice.
“If EFCC chooses to invite you, fine, but they’re not breaching any law by not extending a formal invitation to you to say ‘come’.
“I just look at it as he’s just trying to escape and evade justice, going to hide in the statehouse or wherever they said he is.”
She added, “If he was my client, I would have told him to give himself up and answer the charges.”
Melissa Enoch
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