The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) bid to arrest former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello on Wednesday was thwarted by his successor, Governor Usman Ododo. Bello is wanted over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud case.
This incident marks the second time Ododo has helped Bello evade arrest, following a similar attempt in April.
EFCC operatives had laid siege to the Kogi State Government Lodge in Abuja, but Ododo’s intervention, leveraging his immunity as a sitting governor, allowed Bello to escape arrest. An EFCC official revealed that Ododo’s actions prevented them from carrying out their duties, stating, “Yahaya Bello has not been arrested. The Kogi State governor prevented operatives from doing their work yesterday just like he did the other time.”
After Bello and Ododo’s visit to the EFCC headquarters, the commission denied having Bello in custody. EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale stated that Bello was not detained, contrary to claims by Bello’s media team. Efforts to reach Oyewale for further clarification were unsuccessful.
Bello is facing 19-count charges bordering on money laundering alongside his nephew Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu. The EFCC had previously served Bello’s charges through his counsel, Abdulwahab Muhammad (SAN), after Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja ruled in favor of the substituted service.
