Yahaya Bello: Kogi Assembly urges EFCC to obey court order

The Kogi House of Assembly on Tuesday urged the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to obey court order on the alleged N80.2 billion fraud case against former governor Yahaya Bello.

The House made the call during plenary in Lokoja.

The parliament equally urged the commission to remove the “WANTED” tag placed on the ex-governor with immediate effect.

The EFCC on April 18 declared Bello wanted when its operatives could not arrest him following a court stopping the arrest of the former governor.

The resolutions of the lawmakers followed an earlier motion raised by a member representing Ajaokuta constituency, Jibril Onoru-Oiza.

He said: “The recent reports in the print, electronic and social media handlers had featured various debasing forms of address against Bello.

“The consequence of this has deeply affected the minds, emotions, and impressions of Kogi citizens and by extension Nigerians.

“Kogi, over the years, has witnessed a worrisome trend and torrent of a witch-hunt by the anti-graft agency, unrepentantly striving to force corruption claims on the State Government, officials and now again an ex-governor.

READ ALSO: Court sets May 10 for ruling on Yahaya Bello’s application to vacate arrest warrant

“This is not forgetting the plight of late Prince Abubakar Audu in the hands of the same agency, albeit, giving a dog a bad name in order to kill it.

“The commission started with claims that it discovered a nonexistent fund in an alleged Fixed Deposit Account in a bank.

“It appears the EFCC’s objectives are being eroded by certain selfish group of political individuals with access to media and investigations in the commission.

“This was why the 7th Legislative Assembly of Kogi State in August and September 2021 berated EFCC upon the completion of its investigation over the allegation of N20 billion bailout diversion against Ex-Governor Yahaya Bello through a fixed deposit account at Sterling Bank, Lokoja.

“It’s unfortunate and saddening that EFCC has continued the trajectory of persecuting the former Governor against all known legal decencies and now likened, by most, to personal vendetta. But the question is why?

“We expect the EFCC) to obey the rule of law and work within the ambit of law creating the commission.

“The EFCC, IGP, NIS, National Security Adviser, and other agencies conscripted into this melodrama should endeavour to act accordingly.”

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