Yahaya Bello to EFCC: Stop harassing me, respect law

The immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to stop harassing him and respect the rule of law.

Bello said this via a statement issued by his media officer, Michael Ohiare, on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

The former governor said this in reaction to EFCC’s rebuttal on alleged disobedience to a court order in the case filed against him.

The anti-graft agency had, in a statement titled: “Re: Yahaya Bello: EFCC never disobeyed court order”, reacted to the allegation.

Reacting, Ohiare said contrary to the commission’s claims, “official records and court documents relating to their hounding of Alhaji Yahaya Bello establish a clear timeline of events.”

He added that the documents were endorsed with dates and times of filing and payments, “which are endorsed on court processes – all of which testify to the true sequence of events.”

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He said: “Our attention has been drawn to a publication/press statement with the above title, issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, 22nd April 2024, and signed by Wilson Uwujaren, its Acting Director of Public Affairs.

“In the said statement, which the commission carefully circulated widely as usual, Mr. Uwujaren, who we have to believe is not a lawyer, continues the EFCC’s ongoing unconscionable lies against the former Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Yahaya Bello, CON, by labelling him as a fugitive from justice in order to disingenuously justify their established and willful pattern of defying lawful court orders.”

Giving details of how the statement of the EFCC was allegedly untrue, Ohiare said in the first instance, the EFCC had never invited the ex-governor formally.

He added: “The EFCC claims to have invited Alhaji Yahaya Bello immediately after his tenure ended on January 27th, 2024.

“We challenge the EFCC to produce a copy of this invitation, including the delivery date and the recipient’s name/endorsement. We are confident they cannot provide this simple evidence.”

On the alleged preemptive charge, Ohiare said prior to any alleged invitation, the EFCC amended the charge to accuse Bello of diverting N80 billion belonging to the Kogi State Government in September 2015.

According to him, the amendment listed Bello as “still at large”, demonstrating a clear intention to arrest him.

The former governor’s media officer added: “We urge the public to denounce these unlawful transgressions until the EFCC undertakes a comprehensive reform of its practices

“In conclusion, it is clear that the EFCC is engaged in a campaign of intimidation and harassment.

“Alhaji Yahaya Bello is not afraid of the EFCC. His demand is that the rule of law be respected.”

The Star