Yahaya Bello, the immediate former governor of Kogi State, is still on the run 107 days after being proclaimed sought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
On April 18, 2024, the EFCC declared Bello wanted in connection with a suspected case of money laundering of N80,246,470,089.88.
On Wednesday, April 17, a group of armed men known as ‘Special Forces’ and some police officers obstructed EFCC operatives from apprehending Bello at his Wuse Zone 4, Abuja apartment.
Usman Ododo, the current governor of Kogi State, rushed to Bello’s house and led him out.
The EFCC was previously given an arrest warrant by a Federal High Court in Abuja to detain the former governor.
Bello and three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu, were to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite on 19 counts of money laundering.
However, the anti-graft agency’s failure to arrest the former Kogi State governor halted the arraignment.
On June 21, Austin Okai, the House of Representatives candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party in the Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency during the 2023 elections, alleged that Bello was hiding in the state Government House in Lokoja. This claim contrasted with earlier reports suggesting that Bello had been smuggled out of the country following a raid on his residence.
Despite these reports, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has continued its search for Bello, who has not surrendered to the authorities. Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, expressed skepticism about the EFCC’s efforts, stating that the agency has the resources to track and arrest Bello but has not done so. He remarked, “It’s surprising that despite all the commotion, including the EFCC chairman’s pledge to resign if he couldn’t arrest Yahaya Bello, the man remains at large more than three months after being declared wanted. If this were a case involving a poor person, they would have been arrested easily.”
In response, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale denied any insinuations that the agency was compromised or unwilling to arrest the former governor. He reiterated that Bello remains a wanted individual until he is apprehended. Oyewale added, “The case is in court, and various orders have been issued. Senior lawyers who failed to present him in court are facing disciplinary actions. When an anti-corruption agency declares someone wanted, that status remains until the individual is captured. Yahaya Bello has been declared wanted and remains so, with judicial processes actively ongoing.”
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