The immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged case of money laundering involving over N80 billion. This was made public in a post on the verified ‘X’ page of the agency.
This is coming after the failed attempt to have him arrested at his Abuja residence on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, as operatives of the EFCC were met with obstruction from supporters of Yahaya Bello and men of the Counter Terrorism Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has condemned the disruption faced by the EFCC in what he described as them performing their “statutory duty.”
“The bizarre drama confronting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the course of its efforts to perform its statutory duty has come to my notice (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) as a matter of very grave concern.
“It is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigation into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited is not to put any obstruction in the way of the EFCC but to honourably answer their invitation. A situation where public officials who are themselves subject to protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is, to say the least, insufferably disquieting,” he stated.
He further encouraged anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such an invitation instead of embarking on “self-help” and “escapism” that could put the country in a bad light before the rest of the world.
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