The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of insincerity and evasion after he failed to present himself before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, despite a court order.
Wilson Uwujaren, the Director of Public Affairs for the EFCC, in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Thursday, said this while describing Bello’s appearance at the EFCC car park on September 18 as a publicity and media stunt aimed at deceiving the public.
Bello, who faces multiple charges of corruption and embezzlement, had reportedly circulated media reports before arriving at the EFCC’s premises, claiming he had submitted himself to the anti-graft agency and that he had been detained. Uwujaren refuted this, clarifying that Bello had not even arrived at the time these reports went viral.
“Even before he arrived at the car park of the EFCC, he had already sent out media information across all the platforms that he had presented himself to the EFCC and they even said he had been detained.
“At the time that information got out, he had not even arrived at the premises of the EFCC. That for us, was an indication that he had a game plan which was not a matter of just merely submitting himself to the commission and that game plan can only be explained by him alone”
Uwujaren further accused Kogi’s current governor, Usman Ododo, of aiding Bello’s attempts to evade justice. Ododo, according to Uwujaren, had facilitated Bello’s escape when the EFCC first attempted to arrest him at the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja.
This latest episode, Uwujaren added, saw Ododo breach EFCC security protocols by driving directly into the commission’s car park without notifying security officers of Bello’s presence.
“From our review of what really happened, it was simply a case of the current governor Ododo, being conscious of the fact that he was turning himself into an accomplice of a crime he probably didn’t know about because all these while Yahaya Bello has been dodging EFCC and stalling proceedings, he has been hiding in government house in Lokoja and his escape when we made the first attempt to arrest him, it was the same governor that took him away.
“If they were responsible citizens who wanted to comply with the law, what they would have done immediately they arrived at the premises, is to go to the security post and tell the security on guard that Yahaya Bello has come to present himself to the EFCC and those on duty know what to do when the fugitive of the law presents himself to the EFCC. They bridged our security, bridged our protocols, went into the car park and started taking photos”
Reacting to reports claiming the whole drama was because EFCC wanted to make a deal with Yahaya Bello, where Governor Ododo, his successor, had negotiated with some senior officials of the Tinubu administration — under which the former governor would return some state funds traced to him in exchange for a plea bargain, Uwujaren firmly denied these claims.
“The commission does not engage in deal making when it comes to either investigation or prosecution of anybody, whether high profile person or regular cybercrime person. We don’t do deals.”
The former governor is currently facing fresh charges filed on September 24. These new allegations, according to Uwujaren, center on the conversion of state assets for personal gain. The EFCC accuses Bello of using funds from the Kogi State treasury to acquire properties in Abuja and Dubai, a case that is due to be heard at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja.
Uwujaren also addressed recent claims by social media influencer “Verydarkman,” alleging corruption within the EFCC, including that its operatives accepted bribes from Nigerian cross-dresser Bobrisky.
The EFCC, according to Uwujaren, has taken these accusations seriously and has launched an internal investigation to establish any truth behind them.
“We don’t cover up any allegations. We’ve invited those involved to provide evidence, and if it is established that any of our operatives took bribes, we have internal procedures to deal with such misconduct,” Uwujaren assured.
Chioma Kalu
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