Following Yahaya Bello’s drama of sort which he escaped arrest by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC from his Wuse Zone 4, residence on Wednesday, the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Lateef Fagbemi has advised the former governor of Kogi State to submit himself to the anti-graft agency.
The EFCC has declared Bello wanted in connected with alleged money laundering and stealing of N82 billion belonging to Kogi State government, which he has been evasive from arrest.
On Wednesday, the operatives laid siege to his residence in Wuse Zone 4, when they got wind of his availability in the house, but he was unwilling to submit himself that eventually made the EFCC operatives to block his residence for five hours, before his successor in office, Ododo Usman Ahmed came with large security agents to whisk him away in an official vehicle.
Shortly, after the operation, the EFCC in a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity, Wale Oyewale said, the former governor would be arraigned today (Thursday) at a Federal High Court, Abuja.
Reacting to the development, the AGF in a statement which he personally signed on Thursday, reminded Bello that the anti-graft agency is empowered by law to invite any Nigerian for interrogation.
He also described the action of the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, who used his immunity to prevent Bello’s arrest on Wednesday as ‘disquieting’, adding that embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism that can only put Nigeria in bad light before the rest of the world is not the way to go.
According to him, he stands for the rule of law and will ensure no right of any Nigerian is trampled upon.
The AGF said in the terse statement: “The bizarre drama confronting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the course of its efforts to perform its statutory duty has come to my notice (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) as a matter of very grave concern.
“It is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigation into any matter regardless of status. Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting.
A flight from the law does not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbates it.
“I state unequivocally that I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC and indeed any other agency to order when there is indication of any transgression of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies but I also tenaciously hold the view that institutions of State should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently. Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism that can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world.”
