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BREAKING: EFCC sets up operation to apprehend Yahaya Bello in Abuja
Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, has had his house in Wuse, Abuja barricaded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This action by the EFCC comes shortly after Bello’s meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House.
The house, located on Benghazi Street in Wuse Zone 4, is currently inaccessible due to the presence of EFCC operatives. A photograph shared by a reliable source shows the access road to Bello’s house blocked off by the EFCC.
The reason behind this siege is not immediately known, but it is speculated that it may be related to the ongoing N84 billion fraud case against Bello, which the EFCC is prosecuting. The former governor is accused of diverting N80 billion of state funds in September 2015, just before assuming office.
It is worth noting that Bello’s nephew, Ali Bello, has already been arraigned by the EFCC for alleged money laundering involving N10 billion belonging to the State government.
The State Government vehemently refuted the allegations, dismissing them as baseless and absurd and contending that it was logistically impossible for the former governor to have had access to or misuse state funds during the specified period. The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, issued a statement on behalf of the state government, denouncing the accusations as unfounded and unwarranted.
On February 7, 2024, the state government criticized the EFCC, accusing the agency of harboring individuals whose motives contradicted the anti-corruption efforts championed by the President. The statement highlighted the perceived misalignment between the EFCC’s actions and the broader national agenda to combat corruption effectively.
The EFCC had brought charges against former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello, alongside Ali Bello, Dauda Sulaiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu, alleging money laundering amounting to N84 billion. The charges included accusations of breaching trust and misappropriating funds totaling N84,062,406,089.88. The agency asserted that former governor Bello was evading arrest, while his co-accused individuals had entered pleas of not guilty during court proceedings.
The amended charge filed by the EFCC detailed the alleged conspiracy among the accused parties to convert a substantial sum of money, which was purportedly derived from illicit activities. The charges specified the involvement of Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, and the fugitive Yahaya Adoza Bello in the unlawful activities, emphasizing the severity of the offenses under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
