The spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale, has said that the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, remains wanted until he is arrested.
The former governor has been on the run 107 days after he was declared wanted by the EFCC.
On April 18, 2024, the anti-graft agency declared Bello wanted in connection with an alleged case of money laundering to the tune of ₦80,246,470,089.88.
A group of armed men identified as ‘Special Forces’ and some policemen prevented EFCC operatives from apprehending Bello at his Wuse Zone 4, Abuja residence on Wednesday, April 17.
Speaking with Punch, the Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the EFCC was not ready to arrest Bello.
According to him, the anti-corruption agency has sophisticated equipment to track and arrest Bello.
Nwanguma said, “It is surprising that despite all the hot waves and drama of the EFCC, including the vow of the chairman that he would resign if he couldn’t arrest Yahaya Bello, the man is still out there more than three months after he was declared wanted.
“If they truly wanted to arrest Yahaya Bello, they would have arrested him. If this was a case of a poor man, they would have easily arrested him.”
However, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, dismissed the insinuation that the agency had been compromised or unwilling to arrest the former governor.
Speaking with the aforementioned publication, Oyewale said, “The matter is in court and there are various orders of the court. Senior lawyers who failed to bring him (Bello) to court are already slated for discipline.
“If an anti-corruption agency declares a suspect wanted, all over the world, he remains wanted until he is arrested.
“Yahaya Bello has been declared wanted and he remains wanted. Judicial processes have been instituted in court and they are ongoing.”
