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Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, has called on President Bola Tinubu to call the Economic Financial Crimes Commission to order “in the interest of legal sanity.”
Bello, in a statement by his media team on Wednesday amidst the chaotic scenes of the EFCC’s siege on his Abuja residence, urged President Tinubu to intervene, emphasizing what he called the importance of maintaining legal order.
According to Persecondnews, Mr. Usman Ododo, Governor of Kogi State, had rallied support for his predecessor and paid a visit to Yahaya Bello at his residence in Wuse on Wednesday.
Ododo visited Bello during EFCC operatives’ ongoing siege on his residence in the Wuse Zone 4 area of Abuja.
About a month ago, the EFCC named Bello in an amended money laundering charge against Ododo’s chief of staff, Alli Bello.
The statement reads: “About 9:30 am today, the 17th day of April 2024, persons who described themselves as officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrived at the Wuse Zone 4 residence of Alhaji Yahaya Bello to effect his arrest.
“This is despite a subsisting order of injunction granted on February 9, 2024, by the High Court of Justice, Lokoja Division, in Suit No. HCL/68M/2024 between Alhaji Yahaya Bello vs. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, restraining the Commission either by itself or its agents from harassing, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting Alhaji Yahaya Bello, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive fundamental rights enforcement action.
“The EFCC was duly served with that order on 12th February 2024 and on 26th February 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 Stay of Execution of the Order of the High Court, which the Court of Appeal adjourned for hearing till the 22nd day of April 2024.
“Furthermore, Judgment in the substantive case between Alhaji Yahaya Bello and the EFCC is to 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.
“We are aware of the total commitment of the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the rule of law and can say categorically that the leadership of the EFCC might have offered the agency on a platter of gold to desperate politicians to convert to their score-settling tool without minding the effect on its integrity and the image of Nigeria as regards the rule of law.
“A situation where law enforcers disregard the rule of law is a definite recipe for anarchy, which will adversely affect every aspect of the nation’s economy.
“Nigerians have perceived the desperation of the anti-graft agency to embarrass and harass the former governor by all means through spurious allegations, especially the latest one dating back to September 2015, way before he assumed office.
“We are aware that there are clandestine moves to correct the error, but with even more questionable allegations, which would embarrass the Commission and Nigeria more than the initial one.
“It is unfortunate that an agency that is supposed to enforce the law is now the first culprit with respect to disobedience of court orders.
“This is a big dent on the fight against corruption. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.
“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call the EFCC to order in the interest of legal sanity.”
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