Di Nigeria Immigration Service don issue an alert against former Govnor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, as dem urge law enforcement agents to arrest am anywia dem see am.
Also di Attorney General of di Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, don tell oga Yahaya Bello to surrender imself.
Dis dey come after di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) bin declare Mr Bello wanted on Thursday afta im dodge arrest. Di EFCC allege say Bello dey involved for corruption scandal wey involve more dan N80 billion.
For inside di circular by di NIS, e tok say if any officer see Yahaya Bello for any entry or exit point, make dem arrest am and take am to di Director of Investigation “or contact 08036226329/07039617304 for further action”.
Di NIS circular dey signed by Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, DS Umar, and dem copy am to di Department of State Services (DSS) and di Nigeria Police Force.
Similarly, di AGF Lateef Fagbemi for inside a statement on Thursday vex for Yahaya Bello as e no respect di invitation of di EFCC.
Fagbemi tok say di law empower EFCC to invite anybody during dia investigation, so “di least tin we suppose do na to honourably ansa dia invitation, no be to dey put any obstruction for di way of EFCC”.
EFCC declare Yahaya Bello wanted
Di Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) bin declare Bello wanted for offences wey relate to alleged economic and financial crimes wey amount to N80.2 billion naira.
Di anti-corruption commission for statement tok say anybody wey get informate about im whereabout make dem report immediately to di commission or di nearest police station.
Di statement add say, “48-year-old Ebira man, na native of Okene local goment area for Kogi state. Im last known address na 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
Yahaya Bello absent in court
One scheduled court session for di arraignment of Yahaya Bello bin go ahead on Thursday, April 18, but e no show for court.
Afta dis, EFCC para come tok say dem go use every legal means, to bring am to court on di next adjourned date to ansa case of corruption wey dem dey accuse am of.
Na afta dis dem declare am wanted.
Remember say on Wednesday, some policemen and supporters of di former govnor bin block EFCC operatives wey bin go to arrest Mr Bello for im house for Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
For di court session on Thursday, EFCC lawyer, Kemi Phinero, tell Justice Emeka Nwite say di former govnor dey protected by pesin wey get immunity, and e make am difficult for dem to serve di accused pesin.
However, Yahaya Bello lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed, bin tell di court say di EFCC never serve dem formally wit di court charges.
Attempts by Phinero to serve di court proceedings on di defence counsel on behalf of di defendant, no yield fruit.
After plenty arguments, di EFCC counsel tok say “we go make efforts to produce di defendant in court, even if e go take using di military. Immunity no reach for property or car”.
Phinero tok say if dem dey able to produce di defendant in court before di next adjourned date, di issue of service go don become academic.
E ask di court to adjourn di mata for ruling on substituted service and/or arraignment, but counsel to Yahaya Bello ask di court to adjourn only for ruling.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourn di mata to April 23 for ruling on substituted service, and/or arraignment.
Why EFCC dey go afta Yahaya Bello and di drama to get am
Drama shele on Wednesday for di Wuse Zone 4 area of Abuja di Nigeria capital, wen operatives of di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission bin wan arrest di former Govnor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello.
Some EFCC pipo bin lay siege for Yahaya Bello domot for almost 10 hours make dem arrest am, but some policemen and plenty supportas of d former govnor no gree dem enta di building.
Hours later, di current Kogi State Govnor Ahmed Usman Ododo, arrive for di scene and afta e don spend some hours inside di building, e drive comot.
EFCC later tok say “Govnor Ododo don whisk Yahaya Bello away from di building”.
According to di anti-corruption agency, dem get an arrest warrant against Yahaya Bello so dat dem go fit arraign am before justice Emeka Nwite of di Federal High court Abuja over allegations of corruption wey pass N80 billion.
Di arraignment later go ahead but Yahaya Bello no appear for court as e succeed to dodge arrest on Wednesday.
Case against Yahaya Bello
Di EFCC bin don file corruption charges of about N10 billion against allies of Yahaya Bello, including im nephew, Ali Bello, and anoda defendant, for 2022.
However, on February 5, 2024, a week after im tenure as govnor expire, di EFCC amend di 2022 charges, raise am from 10 to 17 counts, and name Yahaya Bello as accomplice but not a defendant.
Di EFCC accuse Bello say e conspire wit Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdusalam Hudu to convert more dan N80 billion wey belong to Kogi State to dia personal use, and dem commit di crime for September 2015.
Dis date na about four months before Yahaya Bello assume office as govnor for February 2016.
Di case still dey go on bifor Justice James Omotosho of di Federal High Court Abuja.
Meanwhile, di EFCC file one fresh case of 19-count charges against Yahaya Bello, bifor Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Dis new case dey very similar to di old one, but di date wey di crime dey committed, according to di EFCC na February 2016. E also name di same pipo as co-defendants.
Apart from di over N80 billion wey Mr Bello allegedly convert to personal use, di EFCC also allege say di former govnor bin conspire with one company for Abuja wey im name na E-Traders International Limited “to hide di aggregate sum of over N3 billion (N3,081,804,654) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access Bank Plc”.
Also, di same company allegedly help Bello “to transfer di aggregate sum of $570,330 to account number 4266644272 wey dey domiciled for TD Bank, United States of America”.
As di EFCC lay siege for im domot on Wednesday, Yahaya Bello release one statement wia e tok say di commission neva officially invite am for questioning over all dis allegations.
Bello also point to a court order by a Kogi State High Court for February 2024 wey prevent di EFCC from “harassing, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting” am pending di determination of a suit wey dem bin file for dat court.
“Na surprise say agency wey di main oga na lawyer go dey disobey court order anyhow,” di statement tok.
Also, di Kogi State goment bin don write to di EFCC and describe di corruption allegations against Yahaya Bello as ‘ridiculous and laughable,’ as dem tok say dia money no dey miss.
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