THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, wanted over alleged N80.2 billion fraud.
The anti-corruption agency revealed this on its verified Facebook handle on Thursday, April 18.
The photograph of the former governor was displayed with the inscription ‘WANTED’ in the notice.
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The agency said it wanted Bello for offences relating to economic and financial crimes amounting to N80.2 billion and requested anybody with information as to his whereabouts to report to the commission or the nearest police station.
This is coming a few hours after the commission told the Federal High Court in Abuja that it would do everything possible to arrest and prosecute Bello over his money laundering case.
The EFCC said it would execute the arrest warrant issued against the former governor, even if it would involve using the military.
The EFCC lawyers, led by Kemi Pinheiro, a senior advocate, said this at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Pinheiro faulted Bello for failing to make himself available for his scheduled arraignment.
The lawyer told the court that the EFCC’s spirited attempts to arrest Bello on Wednesday to get him to enter a plea to the charges against him “were frustrated by a person with immunity.
Even though he was not present in court on Thursday, Bello informed his lawyers, led by Abdulwahab Mohammed, a senior advocate, to petition the court to revoke an arrest order against him.
After the case was called, the trial judge, Emeka Nwite, questioned Bello’s lawyer about his client’s whereabouts.
Responding, Mohammed informed the court that the ex-governor had obtained an injunction on February 9 from a Kogi State High Court, which he said barred the EFCC from inviting, detaining, or prosecuting him regarding the current case against him.
Mohammed refused the EFCC’s attempt to serve him a copy of the charge in court, claiming he lacked the right to consent to the procedure.
Recall that operatives of the EFCC stormed the Abuja home of Bello on Wednesday, April 17, to arrest him.
The planned arrest was over the alleged sleaze he perpetrated in office.
However, the arrest was unsuccessful, as reports suggest that the Kogi State governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, smuggled out the former governor.
Ododo drove into Bello’s residence while the EFCC surrounded the building Wednesday afternoon.
According to reports, the development forced the commission’s operatives to leave Bello’s residence.
Gunshots allegedly rented the air while the former governor was being smuggled out of the premises by his successor, widely believed to be his kinsman.
A reporter with the ICIR
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