Former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello who has gone into hiding over N80.2 billion money laundering to elope prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC was said to have been planning to escape with his two wives to Morocco and other northern African countries.
Intelligence information made available to the EFCC, has made the anti-graft agency to request for the International Criminal Police Organization, INTERPOL, to place him on watchlist for arrest.
It was also gathered that if Bello has his way, he would fly out secretly with his two wives.
The anti-graft agency alerted Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, Egypt, Libya and Sundan, saying that the former governor who was earlier declared wanted is currently planning from hideout to sneak out of the country to avoid prosecution.
EFCC’s source said, Bello’s plans leaked through frontiers who are involved in arranging how he would fly out of the country, but added that the anti-graft agency was also mounting various strategies to get at him, including plans to raid the Lugard House, Lokoja, where it was believed that he was hiding.
They said the watch-listing was activated in anticipation of Bello’s expected court appearance on July 17, before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Bello faces a 19-count charge, including allegations of money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of public funds amounting to approximately N80.2 billion.
Despite denying the allegations, he has repeatedly failed to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite on scheduled dates in June.
An EFCC source stated, “Ahead of the next hearing of the case, EFCC has activated many options, including taking concrete action to watch-list Bello in North Africa. We are aware of a botched exit to Morocco via Cameroon and are determined to prevent him from fleeing into exile.”
The EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, recently traveled to Tunisia and met with INTERPOL leaders from North Africa to request that Bello be placed on a Red Alert. This request was approved, and the watch-listing was implemented immediately.
“We took this step because we suspect that Bello has been biding his time to avoid arraignment. We expect him to appear in court to prove his innocence. The EFCC must do its job to prevent setting a bad precedent.”
