How Governor Ododo whisked Yahaya Bello away while we laid siege to his Abuja residence – EFCC

Yahaya Bello, the troubled former governor of Kogi State, has been spirited away from his Abuja mansion by his replacement, Governor Usman Ododo, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

A top EFCC official, who requested not to be identified, verified this.

This comes after the anti-graft agency’s operatives surrounded the former Kogi governor’s Wuse Zone 4 mansion for most of Wednesday.

On Thursday, the EFCC roped off the road and entry to Bello’s apartment in an attempt to arrest and prosecute him with corruption.

As EFCC operatives approached the ex-governor’s mansion, his successor Ododo arrived to shouts from Bello fans who had assembled to support their troubled principal.

The Kogi State governor after a while left the premises of his predecessor, with the anti-graft agency confirming that he took Bello along with him.

This development now puts in doubt the ex-governor’s expected arraignment on a 19-count charge before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday.

Meanwhile, there was conflicting court order over the arrest of the Kogi former governor on Wednesday.

One of the rulings, which came from a Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja, restrained the EFCC from arresting, detaining or prosecuting Bello.

Justice I.A Jamil, who gave the order in a two-hour ruling on Wednesday, said that infringing on the fundamental human rights of the former Kogi is null and void except as authorised by the Court.

“By this order, the EFCC is hereby restrained from arresting, detaining and prosecuting the applicant except as authorised by the Court.

“This is a definite order following the earlier interim injunction given,” he said.

The EFCC, however,  obtained permission from the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to arrest the ex-Kogi State governor in preparation to his arraignment on Thursday.

Justice Emeka Nwite granted the warrant this afternoon at the instance of the EFCC.

Bello served as the governor of the North Central state from January 27, 2016 to January 27, 2024, when he handed over to his fellow party man in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Usman Ododo.