For not honouring the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and Court summon for seven months, the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello was said to have regretted his action, saying that he was misled by his legal team.
In a conversation with his kinsmen who visited him at the EFCC’s detention facility in Abuja, he blamed his lawyers of not given him good legal advice particularly in honouring EFCC invitation and earlier Court summon for seven months.
Yahaya Bello who turned in last week has been detained and will be formally arraigned on December 13, 2024.
CAPITAL POST recalled how he evaded and resisted arrest and was later declared wanted in April. In September, he appeared at the EFCC’s Abuja office in the company of Governor Usman Ododo, but left without being detained.
Bello’s counsel had earlier informed the court that his client’s whereabouts were unknown, citing safety concerns.
Amid attempt to arrest him, intense legal fireworks was mounted in Court to declare the EFCC illegal which he was alleged to have sponsored from his hideout.
The Supreme Court later affirmed that the EFCC was legally established with a mandate to tackle financial crimes.
There was also a Court of Appeal ruling on August 20 in Abuja that ordered Bello to present himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Bello is standing trial for alleged embezzlement of N80.2 billion and N110 billion when he governed Kogi State for eight years.
Part of the fund, the EFCC claimed was the sum of $720 which he withdrew from the State treasury to pay his children’s school fees abroad. The money was returned by the school amid allegations by the EFCC.
Bello faces a 19-count charge filed by the EFCC, primarily centered on allegations of money laundering. His arraignment has been repeatedly stalled due to his absence from court proceedings.
The commission alleges that Bello has been under the protective custody of the Kogi State government since he was declared wanted.
The EFCC has described the court’s ruling in August ruling as a “vindication” of its position that ex- governor Bello must answer to the charges. With his arrest now secured, the case is expected to proceed to trial.
The development has however sparked conversations around accountability and the role of political immunity in Nigeria. Bello’s case will likely serve as a litmus test for the EFCC’s resolve in tackling corruption among high-profile political figures.
The former Governor Bello blames his lawyers for unnecessary court processes instead of honoring the EFCC invitation, stating that he was misled and deceived by his legal team.
He however, regrets not taking the matter seriously from the beginning and urges others to be cautious of their legal representation. Regardless of his frustration, Bello remains hopeful that he will receive a fair trial and clear his name of the allegations against him.
