EXCLUSIVE: How Political Pressure Freed Wanted Kogi Ex-Governor Yahaya Bello From EFCC Custody After Tinubu Camp Negotiated His Appearance

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) connected Wednesday succumbed to unit and truthful could not detain erstwhile Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello erstwhile helium visited the office of the anti-graft commission, SaharaReporters has learnt.

Bello had antecedently been declared wanted implicit allegations of wealth laundering and corruption to the tune of N80.2 billion. However, helium yet honoured the EFCC's invitation, accompanied by Kogi Governor Usman Ododo and others.

Meanwhile, his sojourn to the EFCC has been plagued by contention with the spokesperson for the anti-graft bureau denying reports that the erstwhile politician was successful their custody.

“The Commission wishes to authorities that Bello is not successful its custody,” helium said, adding that Bello “remains wanted with a subsisting warrant for his arrest”.

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However, the manager of Bello’s media team, Ohiare Michael, swiftly responded that his main so visited the EFCC bureau but was asked to permission with being interrogated.

Michael said, “Earlier today, we reported the voluntary sojourn of erstwhile Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission bureau to honour the Commission’s invitation.

“In the statement, we reiterated the erstwhile Governor’s large respect for the regularisation of instrumentality and constituted authorization and stressed that each the while, helium lone sought the enforcement of his cardinal rights successful bid to guarantee owed process.

“The EFCC did not, however, interrogate him arsenic officials told him helium could leave. We don’t cognize what this means yet. As we write, Yahaya Bello has near the EFCC office. He was accompanied determination by the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo.”

However, sources told SaharaReporters that Bello was allowed to spell owed to governmental pressure.

Earlier connected Wednesday, pursuing Bello’s sojourn to the EFCC, SaharaReporters reported that determination was mounting unit connected the anti-corruption bureau to merchandise erstwhile Kogi State governor.

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According to sources, Bello's quality astatine the EFCC was the effect of a dialog betwixt his campy and President Bola Tinubu's camp, arsenic the president aims to show his committedness to warring corruption.

"There is simply a batch of unit connected the agency. The Inspector General of Police is besides progressive and Bello's Chief Security Officer they claimed was arrested for bungling his apprehension was ne'er detained contrary to what they told the public,” 1 of the sources earlier told SaharaReporters.

"He had hunkered down astatine the State House successful Lokoja and stayed besides astatine the liaison bureau of the Kogi State since helium went into hiding. Today’s quality was negotiated betwixt Tinubu and Yahaya Bello’s camp," a root had besides explained.

But pursuing the contention surrounding his visit, SaharaReporters learnt that the EFCC claimed that Bello honoured its invitation connected Wednesday due to the fact that its operatives had monitored and located him successful Abuja.

“Yahaya Bello really went to EFCC but owed to pressure, they could not detain him. Now they are claiming that helium lone came due to the fact that they monitored him and located him successful Abuja. And that helium volition beryllium trailed to his hideout contiguous and arrested,” a root said. “This is simply a lie.”

However, efforts to scope the spokesperson for the EFCC, Mr Oyewale, for comments failed arsenic his mobile enactment was switched off.

Bello's media bureau stated that helium honoured the invitation aft consulting with his family, ineligible team, and governmental allies, and that helium has thing to hide.

But it's worthy noting that Bello had antecedently resisted apprehension and shunned aggregate EFCC invitations, starring to a melodramatic country astatine his Abuja residence. The EFCC had obtained a warrant for his arrest, but his successor, Governor Usman Ododo, intervened to forestall the arrest.

The improvement comes arsenic Bello faces a 19-count complaint of alleged wealth laundering, with his proceedings adjourned to September 25.

The EFCC has said it is keen to prosecute Bello, with Chairman Ola Olukoyede personally inviting him for interrogation.

The Court of Appeal successful Abuja connected August 20 ordered Bello to contiguous himself for arraignment.

The tribunal had besides restrained Bello from taking further enactment successful the lawsuit until his arraignment.

Additionally, the tribunal acceptable speech the judgement antecedently delivered by the Kogi State High Court.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that Bello’s whereabouts had been officially chartless since the EFCC attempted to apprehension him during a raid connected his Abuja residence.

Governor Ododo had scuttled attempts by EFCC’s operatives to apprehension Bello from his residence successful Abuja.

The EFCC is prosecuting Bello for alleged transgression diversion and wealth laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 portion helium was successful bureau arsenic Kogi State Governor.

SaharaReporters reported connected April 18 that the anti-corruption bureau had filed 19 transgression counts earlier a Federal High Court successful Abuja against the erstwhile governor, bordering connected transgression breach of spot and wealth laundering.

The complaint filed astatine the Federal High Court 9, with complaint FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024, dated March 9, 2024, has Yahaya Adoza Bello arsenic the sole Defendant portion the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the complainant.

The EFCC successful the complaint papers obtained by SaharaReporters, accused the ex-governor of converting N80,246,470,089.88 belonging to the Kogi State authorities successful February 2016 to himself, an offence which is contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable nether Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 arsenic amended.

Bello was besides accused of indirectly utilizing 1 Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu to launder the sum of N950 cardinal being proceeds of transgression for the acquisition of a spot astatine No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.

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