By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
The Forum of Amalgamated Unions of Concerned Kogi State Citizens have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to come to their aid by stopping the alleged intimidation, harassment and persecution of the immediate past Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Yahaya Bello by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, (EFCC) over alleged N80.2billion fraud.
[caption id="attachment_55714" align="alignnone" width="300"]
Addressing a world press conference titled “Prosecution Or Persecution: A Case of Yahaya Bello and EFCC, in Lokoja on Monday, spokesperson of the group David Ehimony, Kogi State Chairman, Middle Belt Forum, noted that the former Kogi State Governor has worked in collaboration with various security agencies, to tackle insecurity frontally and made Kogi State one of the most secured states in the country.
While noting that the Forum of Amalgamated Unions of Concerned Kogi State Citizens cannot turn their back on former Governor Bello who they believed has left lasting legacies in the annals of Kogi State, Ehimony called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to checkmate the shopping of judgements and granting of conflicting injunctions by some Judges handling corruption cases.
According to him, ” The same Former Governor Yahaya Bello made sacrifices and challenged vested interests by insisting on the APC Presidential primary election to elect APC candidate in 2023. Without this primary election, Mr President might not have been President today based on conspiracies against his candidature.
“The President should come to our aid in ensuring that professionalism is applied to the prosecution of Former Governor Yahaya Bello, instead of the ongoing persecution as we have noticed the hands of Jacob and Voice of Esau in the scheme of things.
“If the harassment of our leaders go unabated, the People of Kogi state might be forced to make a statement. With our strategic and historical position in Nigeria, bounded by 9 states and the FCT, linking Southern Nigeria to Northern Nigeria, our statement will be very loud. We demand that our people be treated with dignity and honour deserving of human beings in the candor of other Nigerians.
He recounted the long battle between Yahaya Bello and the anti graft agency when he was in office after living office on 27th January 2024.
“On 18th of September 2024, Wednesday precisely, the long ill-scripted battle plan against our dear state reached its crescendo. In an appalling manner, we saw those who were supposed to uphold the laws of the land throwing caution to the wind.
“The same night, the whole world witnessed a bizarre incident where gun wielding officials, working on the orders of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), attacked a sitting Governor in an official lodge.
“EFCC personnel stormed Kogi Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, in the night, shooting sporadically all in a bid to arrest the immediate past Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who had earlier in the day, voluntarily honored the EFCC invitation.
“This incident, following series of crude actions and statements birthed our first question: WHO IS AFTER ALHAJI YAHAYA BELLO?
Recall that the Former Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello rose to stardom without a political god-father.
“He became Governor of Kogi State against the usual tradition of riding on the back of god-fathers. He served meritoriously for eight years and bowed out gracefully when the incumbent Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, took over the reins of leadership in Kogi State.
” In the course of his service to Kogi State, and Nigeria by extension, he might have stepped on some big toes who now want him out at all cost. These aggrieved vested interests, we believe, are playing the tunes EFCC is dancing to.
“In the last three years, it has become obvious that the anti-graft agency is in a hurry to persecute Yahaya Bello based on the following inconsistent actions which have exposed the Commission’s mischiefs: The EFCC told the whole world in August 2021 that N20 Billion bailout fund meant for Kogi workers had been diverted into a private account.
“The commission secured an order of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to freeze Kogi State salary bailout account domiciled in Sterling Bank Plc over a ₦20 billion loan allegedly obtained from the bank.
“Justice Tijjani Ringim granted the order to freeze the account pending the conclusion of the investigation or possible prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“However, both the Sterling Bank and the Kogi State Commissioner for Finance debunked EFCC’s claims as the allegations were totally untrue. Instead of admitting its error, EFCC published another falsehood on its official social media pages that the bailout fund had been returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). After Kogi State Government sued EFCC and demanded N35 Billion in damages, the commission quietly withdrew the case in court.
“On the 5th day of February 2023, in an ongoing trial of other persons in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/550/22 before Honourable Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, EFCC amended the charge to include in Count 1 thereof, the allegation that Yahaya Bello conspired with others, including a Kogi State Government House Cashier, in September 2015, to convert the sum of N80 Billion. EFCC alleged that Former Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello stole money from Kogi state government coffers in 2015, a time he had not been in office as Governor.
“It is disgraceful that the EFCC, which claims to be an expert agency in investigating and prosecuting corruption cases alleged that Yahaya Bello stole a part of N80bn along with others from Kogi State’s coffers in September 2015, months before he was sworn in as governor in January 2016. Having realised its blunder, EFCC reworked the charges to indicate the alleged offense was committed in February 2016, just three weeks after Bello assumed office as Governor.
“The election that produced Alhaji Yahaya Bello, CON, as Governor of Kogi was only conducted in November 2015. Indeed, H.E. Captain Idris Wada of the PDP held sway as Governor of Kogi State at the material time until he handed over to H.E Yahaya Bello on the 27th day of January 2016. Former Governor Yahaya Bello could therefore not have as of September 2015 conspired with anyone to convert any money belonging to the Kogi State Government.
“In an obvious desperation to nail Former Governor Yahaya Bello, the EFCC went on an overdrive, exposing the agency’s mischief”
Ehimony also recalled other abuse of power by the anti graft agency, noting that the former Kogi State Governor had approached a court of competent jurisdiction to enforce his fundamental human rights.
Explaining further, the spokeperson of the group said “On April 17, 2024, a court of competent jurisdiction restrained EFCC from arresting, detaining and prosecuting Yahaya Bello. In a desperate bid to persecute the former Governor, the EFCC went to another court to procure a counter injunction. Even before the counter injunction was procured, the Commission laid siege on the former Governor’s residence on Benghazi Street, Wuse, Abuja. It was a day of horror.
“Kindly note that similar injunctions were obtained by Former Governors Bello Matawalle and Nyesome Wike of Zamfara and Rivers States respectively, but the EFCC never made any attempt to vacate the injunctions. Today, these former Governors are not only walking around freely, but are serving as Ministers in the current Federal Government. However, same EFCC obtained a counter injunction in Yahaya Bello’s case.
“We are even more worried because these governors have been accused by their successors of having diverted billions of naira when they held sway. Matawalle’s successor even appeared on national television that over 400 billion naira was diverted and that they had drawn the attention of EFCC to the issue. Yet, EFCC turned deaf ears to these cries. Conversely, Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State has never declared at any time that Kogi money is missing. Yet, EFCC is pursuing Bello as if his governor had reported him”.
The group further recalled that on 24th May 2022, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared the then Rivers State Accountant-General, Fubara Similayi, and 58 others wanted for alleged N435 billion fraud.
“His boss and Governor, Wike was not declared wanted because he had immunity covering him. Today, Wike does not have immunity but EFCC has not invited him for questioning. Rather, he serves as a minister in the same government under which EFCC operates.
“The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, a former governor of Kano State was arraigned at a Kano state High Court along his wife and son on April 17, 2024, by the state anti-graft agency over alleged misappropriation of funds when he was Governor. Neither himself, wife nor son appeared before the court to defend the allegations, yet EFCC turned the other eye” he stated.
According to him, some persons somewhere are desperate to destroy Yahaya Bello using the EFCC. “In spite of these instances of selective justice, on Wednesday, 18th September 2024, Former Governor Yahaya Bello decided to honour the commission’s invitation and went to the EFCC headquarters voluntarily. Information at our disposal confirms that Bello spent over four hours at EFCC premises with pictures and video evidences to prove this.
“The man who was purportedly declared wanted went to EFCC office and he was not even granted audience let alone interrogated or taken into custody. In a shocking turn of events, EFCC mobilzed armed men and laid a siege on the Kogi Governor’s Lodge in a night raid.
“As widely reported last year, the Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede directed that sting operations at night time be stopped in all the Commands of the EFCC.
“He gave the directive in Abuja on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 in reaction to the arrest of 69 suspected internet fraudsters by operatives of the Ibadan Zone of the Commission in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
“If EFCC had placed a ban on sting operations at night, last year, why the sudden U-turn to chase after Former Governor Yahaya Bello at night using the same sting operations?
He argued that what happened last week confirmed the group fears that the whole drama is more political than a fight against corruption.
Continuing, the group Spokesperson said “In several media reports, the EFCC allegedly claimed it could not interface with Bello because he was accompanied by the current Governor, who enjoys immunity. This claim is, however, very perplexing. When did it become an offense for a sitting Governor to accompany a former Governor?
” We recall instances where sitting governors have accompanied some persons to the EFCC without any issue. For instance, a former sitting Governor of Rivers State, Barr. Nyesome Wike accompanied former Governor Ayo Fayose to the Commission’s office and it did not hinder the EFCC from interrogating the Former Governor.
“To further torchlight their hypocrisy, the Governor whom they claimed used his immunity cover to shield them from doing their jobs was at the premises of the Kogi Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro when armed operatives of the EFCC stormed and invaded the Kogi Government House in Abuja, shooting sporadically into the air like a gun duel in Sambisa Forest. We ask again, what were the gun shots for, to harm Bello?
“From all indications, the EFCC seems to have an axe to grind with former Governor Bello, and by extension, the entire Kogi State. It is on record that the only former Governor openly handcuffed and paraded by the agency, till date, was a man who governed Kogi State with distinguished accomplishments, which was the Former Governor, Prince Abubakar Audu of blessed memory.
“Just like the current manhunt for Bello, EFCC officials savagely damaged his car and practically dragged him out of his convoy. He was handcuffed and bundled to Lokoja like a common criminal over allegations that were never substantiated. Was he not supposed to be deemed innocent until proven guilty?
“Incidentally, both Audu and Bello are progressive governors with enviable records of achievements in office. That they are bent on using a designed script in Bello’s case is an indication that they are heading in the similar direction of embarrassment meted out to the revered former Governor Audu of the blessed memory.
“We want to ask again, why does EFCC find it convenient to treat Kogi leaders as though they are lesser Nigerians? Can they mete out same treatment to former Governors in other states? It is an open secret that Kogi has been subjected repeatedly to second class status when it comes to governance at national level.
“Kogi state is often overlooked or practically denied when certain positions are zoned to North Central geo-political zone. Is it accidental that Kogi has never produced a Senate President or Deputy Senate President in the National Assembly? Even when these positions were zoned to North Central? Same can be said of Speakership and Deputy Speakership positions in the House of Representatives.
“Moreso, in terms of project execution and provision of critical infrastructure, Kogi is never considered as a state of priority even though it links the South to the North in Nigeria”.
