By Richards Ibe
The ex-Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who handed over to the current governor of the state, Usman Ododo in January this year after his two terms of four-years-tenure, has consistently been in the news in the past eight months.
It has been from one drama to the other bordering on his stewardship and
how he handled the affairs of the state under his tenure.
Bello, who was alleged to have defrauded the state to the tune of N84 billion during his tenure, have done everything in and out of the books to avoid his trial spearheaded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
On Thursday, March 14, 2024, the
EFCC had dragged the former governor before Justice James Omotosho of the
Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja for alleged N84 billion money laundering
offences, alongside his nephew Ali Bello, Dauda Sulaiman and Abdulsalam Hudu.
The Anti-graft agency was
prosecuting the quartet on an amended 17-count charge of money laundering,
breach of trust and misappropriation of fund to tune of N84, 062,406,089.88
(Eighty-four Billion, Sixty-two Million, Four Hundred and Six Thousand,
Eighty-nine Naira, Eighty-eight Kobo).
To make way for Yahaya Bello’s
inclusion in the trial, prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, informed the
court of an application before it for the amendment of the charges against the
defendants, dated February 5, 2024, and filed the same day.
After prayers that the amended
charges be read to the defendants for them to take their pleas, the judge had
granted the prayer, overruling objections from A.M Aliyu SAN, and Olusegun
Joolawo SAN, counsels to Ali Bello and Suleiman, first and second defendants.
Count one of the charges had
read: “That you, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, Yahaya Adoza Bello (still at large)
and Abdulsalam Hudu (still at large), sometime in September, 2015 in Abuja,
within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves
to convert the total sum of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and
Forty-six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eighty-nine Naira,
Eighty-eight Kobo), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of
the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: criminal breach of trust and you
thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(b) and punishable under
Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.”
Also distancing itself from the
proceeds of fraud, the American International School, Abuja had in April 2024
refunded to the EFCC the sum of $760,000 paid by Yahaya Bello as advanced
school fees for his children at the tail end of his administration as governor
of Kogi State.
Bello was alleged to have paid $720,000 in advance as fees for five of
his children in Grade Levels 2 to 8 in the school from the coffers of the Kogi
State Government.
Confirming the development in
April, the EFCC Spokesman, Dele Oyewale, had declared “The school has refunded
the entire $760, 000 to the EFCC’s recovery account.”
Going into hiding, Yahaya Bello
had severally refused to appear in court in person to clear the allegations
raised against him.
Some eminent Nigerians had
pleaded with Yahaya Bello to come out and answer the charges against him and
that he should not be giving former governors bad name.
One of those who gave the advice
was the immediate-past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, on Sunday, 28th
of April 2024.
Speaking at a Redeemed Christian
Church of God in Makurdi, Benue State during the thanksgiving service organised
by his aides for his 63rd birthday celebration, Ortom advised Bello to come out
of hiding and answer his case with the EFCC.
Ortom had said that Yahaya
Bello’s continued hiding would bring disgrace to former governors across the
country.
“I want to use this opportunity
to advise my younger brother and friend, Governor Yahaya Bello, not to disgrace
former governors.
“You don’t need to hide. You
don’t need to resist arrest or anything. Go there and respond. The EFCC
(officials) are human beings. If they are making inquiries, the laws are there.
“I have tried to get him on the
phone, but I could not. I have tried those around him but I could not, so I
want this to be noted. Wherever he is, if he can hear me, thank God the press
is here, he should come out.” Ortom had stated.
Even though immunity no longer
covers the ex-Governor, he has reportedly been assisted to evade arrest by his
successor, Kogi State Governor Ododo, presently enjoying immunity as the
sitting governor of the North Central state.
To ensure that justice is
served, some eminent Nigerians have also called on Governor Ododo to hand over
Yahaya Bello to the law for prosecution.
A political activist, Usman Okai
Austin had cautioned Governor Ododo against being hypocritical and obstructing
anti-graft war.
He had charged Ododo to
demonstrate his dedication to fighting corruption by taking concrete steps to
hand over Yahaya Bello to the EFCC for investigation.
In a statement, Okai had also
questioned Ododo’s commitment to fighting corruption, particularly in light of
allegations that he is protecting Bello.
He criticized the enacted Kogi
State anti-corruption Bill under Ododo, as he accused Ododo of hypocrisy and
labeled the legislation as a mockery of the entire anti-corruption system. Okai
cited and faulted an occasion when Ododo was reportedly seen “accompanying
Bello to a Sallah celebration in Okene, despite Bello’s alleged involvement in
corrupt activities.
“This perceived complicity has
raised concerns about the governor’s true intentions in the fight against
corruption and has prompted calls for him to take decisive action to uphold the
rule of law. As a prominent figure in Kogi State politics, it is imperative
that governor Ododo addresses these concerns and takes concrete steps to
demonstrate his commitment to combating corruption and promoting good
governance in Kogi State.
“Despite his declaration to
‘attack corrupt practices and make it impossible for corruption to thrive,’ his
actions suggest otherwise.
“To genuinely demonstrate his
dedication to fighting corruption, Governor Ododo must take concrete steps,
such as handing Yahaya Bello over to the EFCC for investigation.
“Until then, his actions will be
seen as hypocritical and obstructing the anti-corruption war.
“We urge Governor Ododo to
practice what he preaches and take meaningful action against corruption by
handing over the wanted Bello to the EFCC.”
A popular activist and lawyer,
Deji Adeyanju also charged Governor Ododo to hand over his predecessor, Yahaya
Bello to the EFCC for trial.
“Ododo, the impunity-loving
governor of Kogi State should hand over Yahaya Bello to the EFCC to face trial
for all his corrupt acts.” Adeyanju wrote on his Facebook page.
While Ododo has failed to heed
the advice, the anti-graft agency has been seeking ways to bring Yahaya Bello
to justice.
In an attempt to bring the
ex-Governor to justice, some EFCC operatives had on Wednesday 17th of April
2024 stormed Yahaya Bello’s Abuja home at Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja,
Federal Capital Territory.
Ododo had reportedly assisted in whisking away Bello in his official car from
the scene to evade the arrest.
Kicking against the EFCC move,
the ex-governor’s media office, in a statement, had claimed that the presence
of the operatives in Bello’s residence negated the order of injunction granted
on February 9, 2024, by the High Court of Justice, Lokoja Division, in Suit No.
HCL/68M/2024 between Yahaya Bello v. EFCC, restraining the commission either by
itself or its agents from harassing, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting him,
pending the hearing and determination of the substantive fundamental rights
enforcement action.
Despite Yahaya Bello been
declared wanted and going into hiding for several months, especially after the
sting operation in his Abuja home, he is reported to be perpetually hanging
around his successor Ododo to evade arrest.
On Wednesday September 18th
2024, Yahaya Bello came out of hiding for months and visited the EFCC office in
the company of Ododo.
At the EFCC office, he was said
to have snapped pictures with security guards, and to create the impression
that he has turned himself in to the anti-graft agency.
But the EFCC was said to have
been hindered from arresting Yahaya Bello as Ododo’s governorship immunity
prevented the operatives from taking further action.
Doing otherwise, would have
resulted in confrontation between the security personnel protecting the
governor and the anti-graft agency, which may lead to gun duel and lost of
lives.
Speaking on the latest
development on Wednesday, EFCC officials said Ododo helped Bello to escape
again just like in April.
One of the officials said,
“Yahaya Bello has not been arrested. The Kogi State governor prevented
operatives from doing their work yesterday just like he did the other time. He
took him away and our men could not do anything because of the immunity he (Ododo)
is enjoying.”
In another attempt to get Bello
to answer the charges against him, EFCC operatives again on the same night of
Wednesday September 18th 2024 stormed the Kogi State Government Lodge in Abuja.
Yahaya Bello, again was reported to have evaded arrest by EFCC operatives with the assistance of his successor, Governor Ododo, leveraging on the immunity being enjoyed by Ododo as a sitting governor.
Apart from Ododo’s immunity covering, which Yahaya Bello has been hiding under
in the past eight months, some questions are also now on the lips of some
well-meaning Nigerians.
Topmost of these questions is if
Yahaya Bello is also getting support and protection from another influencial
personality in the Presidency, who has security background.
With these dodging of the law
going on for months, it is hightime the fight against corruption in the country
is really allowed to thrive.
As a matter of urgency, Yahaya
Bello should immediately turn himself in for the N84 billion money laundering
trial.
He should have nothing to fear
if his hands are clean and has served the people of Kogi State to the best of
his ability for eight years.
Even though Bello played a great
role in Ododo’s emergence as the governor of Kogi State, Ododo should now start
concentrating on serving the good people of Kogi State as he has sworn to do
and allow Bello to carry his cross and face the course of the law.
Any other influential person
backing Yahaya Bello in the Presidency, irrespective of whatever he has gained
from Bello in the past, should also stop forthwith in order not to soil the
administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who didn’t shy away from
suspending a Minister linked to corruption.
*Richard
Ibe is a commentator on public issues
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