The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has labeled former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s recent visit to its office as a mere publicity stunt, accusing him of not genuinely intending to surrender. This claim was made by the EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, during an interview on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Thursday.
Uwujaren explained that Bello had another opportunity to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, where his ongoing money laundering case was adjourned until October 30, 2024, for a ruling. He emphasized that Bello’s previous visit to the EFCC on September 18 was more about creating a spectacle than adhering to the legal process.
“That should be enough to show Nigerians that his visit was not a genuine attempt to abide by the rule of law,” Uwujaren remarked. “When EFCC officials went to the Kogi Governor’s Lodge to ask him to return, he could have simply followed them if he had no reservations about presenting himself. Had he done so, he would have complied with the Court of Appeal’s decision, which mandated his formal appearance. His actions that day exposed his insincerity.”
Uwujaren also noted that even before Bello arrived at the EFCC’s car park, media outlets were already reporting that he had presented himself to the commission. “He had sent out media alerts across various platforms claiming he had surrendered to the EFCC, and there were even false reports of his detention. This shows there was a premeditated plan, which only Bello can fully explain.”
Bello’s media office had previously released a statement asserting that the former governor had honored an EFCC invitation, months after he was declared wanted by the agency. Pictures soon surfaced on social media, showing Bello and Kogi’s current governor, Usman Ododo, in the car park of the EFCC, leading to widespread speculation.
However, the EFCC quickly debunked the narrative, issuing a statement through its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, clarifying that Bello was not in their custody and reaffirming that the former governor remained wanted under an active arrest warrant.
Later that evening, EFCC operatives attempted to arrest Bello by surrounding the Kogi State Government Lodge in Abuja. Uwujaren remarked, “If he was serious about complying with the law, he should have gone straight to the security post upon his arrival and informed them of his intent to surrender. The procedure would have been clear from there.”
Bello, alongside Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu, faces 19 charges brought by the EFCC, related to money laundering offenses totaling ₦80.2 billion.