The Media Office of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Kogi State’s immediate past governor, has alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is driven by desperation and ulterior motives in its prosecution of Bello.
In a statement issued in Lokoja on Wednesday, Director Ohiare Michael said: “The EFCC’s operational and procedural blunders since the inception of the money laundering case against Bello reveal its true intentions.”
Michael noted that the EFCC’s actions, including its statement titled “Yahaya Bello Must Have His Day in Court,” demonstrated a fixation on tarnishing Bello’s image for political reasons.
He cited the events of 18 September, where Bello voluntarily submitted to the agency but was not detained, followed by an overnight attack on the Kogi Government Lodge.
Michael questioned the EFCC’s motives: “If genuinely interested in prosecution, why not arraign Bello on the next adjourned date? Why embarrass the country to satisfy collaborators’ egos?”
“We urge Nigerians to ask: what does the EFCC truly want from Yahaya Bello? His Excellency will have his day in court, in line with the rule of law, not the EFCC’s prescription.”