Nigerian lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has accused President Bola Tinubu of shielding the former governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, who is wanted by security agencies for fraud, from being arrested.
Adeyanju made these claims during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday while drawing a contrast between how the former Kogi state governor has evaded arrest by security agencies and how innocent protesters have consistently been arrested, using the comparison to highlight the lamentable level of corruption in the country.
Bello was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial crimes amounting to N80 billion.
Adeyanju said, “People say Yahaya Bello is above the law. No he is not. It is the president that is shielding Yahaya Bello, because there is no way that a man would be alleged of stealing 80 billion (naira), the EFCC has gone to court, the EFCC has a warrant for his arrest, the EFCC attempted to arrest him, he evaded arrest.”
The lawyer expressed frustration at how protesters have been treated while Bello, who no longer enjoys the immunity of office, continues to walk free despite serious allegations of corruption against him.
He stated, “Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi state who is currently above the law, who no longer has immunity or enjoys immunity, Yahaya Bello is free, walking the streets but protesters have been arrested here in Abuja and other parts of the country and they spent two weeks in custody for protesting. Their only crime is that they protested. In Katsina, protesters were arrested, they gave them a summary trial in a police station then an adjournment was given for a month’s time. That means those protesters will be in custody for one month for protesting but Yahaya Bello walks free.”
The activist argued that the rule of law must be applied impartially and questioned why the EFCC, despite obtaining a warrant for Bello’s arrest and attempting to detain him, has not succeeded. He explained that while the constitution provides immunity to the person of the governor, it does not extend to stolen funds and looted resources.
“The idea of rule of law must be exercised impartially and it must have general applications. The derogations from fundamental rights enshrined in chapter 4 of our constitution, they are very clear, the circumstances for derogation. None of those circumstances is present as regards to the case of Yahaya Bello.
“In fact, the EFCC can go to government houses if they suspect that a governor has changed federal location that he has gotten and he has transferred to dollar and he has stockpiled in government house, because that is what majority of them do. With the money that Tinubu is saving from fuel subsidy, that’s what they do. Majority of the government houses and the EFCC can go to the government house and confiscate the money. Their immunity that the constitution envisaged is for the individual and the person of the governor. The stolen funds and looted resources do not have immunity.”
Melissa Enoch
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