The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed fresh 16-count charges bordering on fraud against the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, before an FCT High Court.
According to Daily Trust, the charges, which were filed by the Federal Government through counsels for the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, Rotimi Oyedepo both Senior Advocate of Nigeria and 7 other lawyers, also joined one Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu as defendants.
The fresh charges were coming on the heels of the former governor’s absence at a Federal High Court, Abuja where he was being tried for alleged charges to the tune of N80.2bn when he held sway in the state.
In a fresh charge sheet, the anti-graft agency revealed that it had uncovered alleged fresh fraud against the former governor to the tune of N110,446,470,089.00.
“That you, YAHAYA ADOZA BELLO, UMAR SHUAIBU ORICHA and ABDULSALAMI HUDU sometimes in 2016 in Abuja, within the jurisdictions of this Honourable Court agreed amongst yourselves to cause to be done an illegal act to wit: criminal breach of trust in respect of the total sum N110,446,470,089.00 entrusted to you,” the charge sheet partly read.
Meanwhile, the anti-graft justified why former Governor Yahaya Bello was not attended to at the commission’s headquarters last week.
The commission, in a statement on its X account, explained that Bello had played up several antics to garner public sympathy and evade due process.
The anti-graft agency maintained that Bello’s visit to its headquarters with a retinue of aides and a sitting governor was why he was rebuffed.
“To date, Bello is yet to take his plea in the alleged N80.2 billion money laundering charges preferred against him before Justice Nwite. His invasion of the corporate headquarters of the commission with a retinue of security details, hand-to-hand cahoots and carriage with a sitting governor having immunity, unwarranted media blitz, scripted sleight of hands unknown to the public and other backend intelligence available to the commission, compelled a tactical rebuff of his touted surrender offer.
“The incident of Wednesday, September 18, 2024, regarding the orchestrated antics of the former governor to surrender himself to the EFCC, having denied being invited by the commission and operating underground as a fugitive for several months, expectedly raised concerns and curiosity of many Nigerians who had been waiting frantically for his arrest and trial,” the anti-graft agency said in the statement titled, ‘Yahaya Bello Must Have his Day in Court’.
The commission maintained that it wouldn’t be deterred by the former governor’s antics, assuring Nigerians that it would ensure the he had his day at court.
It added, “It is public knowledge that a former governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello, had made several unsuccessful attempts to throw spanners in his ongoing trial through some irresponsible and utterly rascally efforts.
“The appropriate place of surrender would be before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, before whom his legal team had undertaken to produce him to answer to the 18-count charges of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
“Yahaya Bello should be more interested in clearing his name than playing the victim and crying persecution, where none exists. To even insinuate that he was the target of a phantom assassination attempt because the EFCC made efforts to effect his arrest at the Kogi State Governor’s Lodge where he had been hiding, is preposterous.
“It is the first time in the commission’s more than two decades of existence that such a jejune claim would be made. This is no more than scaremongering, intended to scandalise the commission.
“But EFCC is not deterred by this, and other shenanigans by the ex-governor. The commission remains committed to ensuring that the law takes its course in the money laundering charges already filed against Yahaya Bello in court.”
Intel Region reported the controversy surrounding the visit of the former governor to the EFCC headquarters last week.
While the ex-governor’s media team claimed that their principal honoured the invitation, the anti-graft agency countered these claims, insisting that Bello remains a wanted person.
A statement on Thursday morning by the Director of the Yahaya Bello Media Office, Ohiare Michael, asserted that the former Kogi governor arrived at the EFCC headquarters to honour the agency’s invitation.
According to Michael, Bello’s decision followed consultations with his legal team and political associates.