Yahaya Bello Is Not Evading Arrest — Bello’s Media Office

Yahaya Bello 

The media office claims that Yahaya Bello is not evading the law and that the EFCC never invited him

According to Yahaya Bello's media office, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) never extended an invitation to the former Kogi state governor.

The anti-graft agency proclaimed the former governor wanted without inviting him, according to a statement from Bello's media office signed by Ohiare Michael.

Bello is not frightened of the EFCC, the statement continued.

The former governor is being charged by the EFCC with participating in the embezzlement of N80.2 billion from the Kogi government.

Bello's home in Abuja was besieged by EFCC agents on April 17 in an attempt to take him into custody.

Usman Ododo, the governor of Kogi, arrived at Bello's home while the agents were there.

The EFCC agents broke up their siege shortly after Ododo exited the house.

It was thought that Ododo had saved Bello from his home.

Amid all of the turmoil, the commission was ordered to stop “harassing, threatening to arrest or detaining” the former governor by the Kogi High Court in a fundamental rights enforcement complaint.

Yahaya Bello's arrest warrant was acquired by the EFCC from an Abuja federal high court on the same day.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) then put Bello on a watchlist, and the anti-graft agency proclaimed the former governor wanted.

Bello is not a criminal on the run, according to Michael's statement.

Bello was invited when his term expired, but he declined the invitation, the EFCC stated in a statement on Monday.

The head of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, stated on April 23 that he had invited Bello to his office for a respectful interview.

According to Olukoyede, Bello declined the offer and asked that agents visit his village instead.

The anti-graft agency was challenged by the media office to demonstrate that Bello was ever invited.

The statement reads, “Let it be known to all that Alhaji Yahaya Bello is not afraid of the EFCC, he is not a fugitive running from the Law. All he demands is that the rule of law be respected!!”

The statement reads: “The EFCC stated that they invited Alhaji Yahaya Bello immediately after his tenure ended on the 27th of January 2024. We challenge the EFCC to publish a copy of the invitation delivered to Yahaya Bello.

“They should also tell Nigerians the date the alleged invitation was delivered and who it was delivered to. We are certain that the EFCC will not be able to produce any of the foregoing as to date, they have yet to invite Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

“Indeed, just about the end of his administration, several online news sites published that the EFCC would arrest the Governor as soon as he handed over power to his successor as they intended to charge him for alleged crimes committed as Governor of Kogi State.

“True to the stories, the EFCC on the 5th day of February 2023 in an ongoing trial of other persons, in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/550/22 before Honourable Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, amended the Charge to include in Count 1 thereof, the allegation that Yahaya Bello conspired with others, including a Kogi State Government House Cashier, in September 2015, to convert the sum of 80 Billion.

“The news of the inclusion of his name in the Charge as usual was given wide publicity by the EFCC who still had not invited him but had described him as being at large.

“It was thus clear from the foregoing that the EFCC was out for mischief.

“A stage was being set to move in a gestapo manner to his home, lay siege there and violently arrest him with the aim of tarnishing his name and ruining his reputation as if he were a fugitive even though he was not invited.”

Michael said that the EFCC had disregarded the court order that prevented the organization from contacting the former governor.

The media office said: “For the protection of his reputation, rights to presumption of innocence, liberty, and dignity of the human person, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, as a Law abiding Citizen, caused to be filed a Fundamental Rights Enforcement action in Suit No. HCL/68M/2024 between Alhaji Yahaya Bello v. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on the 8th day of February 2024, at the High Court of Justice, Kogi State.

“The belief of the imminent dramatic arrest, which eventually occurred on the 17th of April 2024 in Abuja, was indeed predicted in paragraph 36(c) of the Affidavit in Support of the Originating Summons filed on the 8th of February 2024.

“Upon the above facts, particularly that he was to be investigated, invited, arrested, or prosecuted on an impossible allegation, the High Court granted him reprieve by restraining the EFCC from inviting, arresting, and prosecuting him, pending the determination of the Originating Motion for the enforcement of his fundamental rights. The said Order was served on the EFCC on the 12th day of February 2024.”