Alleged fraud: EFCC operatives raid Yahaya Bello’s home
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday raided the Abuja home of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, located on Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
Yahaya is being investigated by the EFCC for fraud during his eight year’s tenure as the governor of Kogi state.
The commission had dragged Yahaya Bello, his nephew Ali, one Dauda Sulaiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in an amended charge in March 2024, over alleged N84 billion money laundering charges.
Reacting to the development, the former governor’s media office, in a statement, condemned the raid and urged President Bola Tinubu to caution the EFCC against such act, saying it contravened a court order.
”The presence of the operatives in Bello’s residence negated the order of injunction granted on February 9, 2024, by the High Court of Justice, Lokoja Division, in Suit No. HCL/68M/2024 between Yahaya Bello v. EFCC.”
According to the statement, the court restrained the commission either by itself or its agents from harassing, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting him, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive fundamental rights enforcement action.
“The EFCC was duly served with that order on February 12, 2024, and on February 26, 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 a Stay of Execution of the order of the High Court, which the Court of Appeal adjourned for hearing till April 22, 2024.
“Furthermore, judgment in the substantive case between Alhaji Yahaya Bello and the EFCC will 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.”
The statement added that in spite of the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to the rule of law, the EFCC leadership seemed to have been desperate to please some politicians without minding the effect this will have on its integrity and the image of Nigeria.
The media office further alleged that the anti-graft agency was plotting to embarrass and harass the ex-governor through spurious allegations, especially the latest one dating back to September 2015, long before he assumed office.