Revealed: Actual Account Of What Unfolded During Yahaya Bello ‘s Visit To EFCC’s Office
Revealed: Actual Account Of What Unfolded During Yahaya Bello ‘s Visit To EFCC’s Office
By Ozumi Abdul
First and foremost, let me shortly and unequivocally submit that the continued saga involving the previous Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has revealed troubling cracks concerning the integrity of the Nigeria’s foremost anti-corruption company.
Initially, the EFCC categorically denied that Bello didn’t go to its workplace, solely to later clarified that his go to was not acknowledged as a result of presence of high-profile politicians, together with his successor, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, who accompanied him to the fee’s headquarters.
This backpedaling raises important questions concerning the fee’s dedication to transparency and accountability.
The EFCC’s shifting narrative highlights a deeper problem: the potential politicization of its operations. By permitting the presence of influential political figures to dictate its actions, the fee dangers compromising its credibility.
This Is What Actually Happened During Yahaya Bello’s Visit To The EFCC’s On Wednesday
Wednesday, October 18, 2024, was removed from an atypical day for Nigerians. It was a day marked by dramatic episode on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja, the place former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello arrived to answer an invite from the anti-graft company.
He was not pressured, however willingly went there. However, regardless of his willingness to cooperate, occasions shortly spiraled into chaos, elevating crucial questions concerning the EFCC’s strategies and motives.
Recall that in a prelude to his go to, Bello’s Head of Media, Ohiare Michael, introduced that the previous governor had consulted household and associates to make sure his basic human rights wouldn’t be violated, given the continued courtroom proceedings towards him.
He said that Bello was ready to honor the EFCC’s invitation, regardless of being branded a “fugitive” by some quarters, together with regulation enforcement businesses that had been positioned on excessive alert.
Accompanied by his successor, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, Bello spent over 4 hours on the EFCC workplace. Initially, the ambiance was cordial, with pleasant exchanges between Bello and EFCC officers.
However, because the assembly progressed, the tone shifted dramatically. EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede, reportedly preoccupied, despatched his Chief of Staff, Michael Nzekwe, to tell the previous governor that they may not attend to him at that second and that he can be contacted later.
Bello and his entourage then left the EFCC premises, ready on the Kogi Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro Abuja, for a follow-up name. This ready sport took an sudden flip when Mike contacted Ododo to inquire about their whereabouts.
The governor revealed they have been nonetheless awaiting the EFCC’s name, however Mike then expressed his intention to go to them straight.
How EFCC Officials Stormed The Kogi Government’s Lodge In Asokoro Abuja, And Escalation Of Chaos
Moments later, the EFCC’s officers,armed to the tooth stormed the Kogi Government’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja in bid to forcefully arrest Bello, utilizing sting operation methodology. They arrived in the course of the day and stayed until nightfall. They first engaged Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo in a protracted dialogue. During this assembly on the Kogi liaison workplace, Michael, the Chief of Staff to the EFCC chairman took the chance to plead with Ododo to facilitate the arrest of Yahaya Bello. However, the previous governor resisted, arguing that he had voluntarily complied with the EFCC’s invitation and shouldn’t be handled as a felony.
“I am a law-abiding citizen who will not tolerate being humiliated in this manner,” Bello asserted, emphasizing that he was ready to return to the EFCC if formally summoned. He accused the company of incompetence and of getting ulterior motives.
As tensions escalated, the EFCC reportedly known as for reinforcements, resulting in a chaotic scene. EFCC operatives started to harass the governor and fired pictures into the air to realize entrance.
In a present of respect for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his workplace, the governor finally determined to go away, asserting that he wouldn’t enable disrespect to overwhelm him and his workplace.
“I am not weak,” he proclaimed, defending his determination as a show of knowledge aimed toward stopping additional chaos. He then accused the EFCC of demonstrating incompetence and harboring mischievous intentions, refusing for use as a pawn in what he perceived as a political sport.
This troubling incident raises crucial questions concerning the EFCC’s ways. What was the company making an attempt to realize by later laying siege to an individual who had willingly submitted himself?
Was the EFCC Chairman making an attempt to satisfy a promise to arrest Bello or was there a deeper, extra sinister motive aimed toward undermining the previous governor’s political profession?
Wike’s Fear For Fayose Not To Be Harmed In 2018 EFCC, And The Striking Semblance With Yahaya Bello’s Current Travails
Drawing parallels with the honest displayed by former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who now serves because the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the unfolding drama round Bello suggests a troubling political narrative that calls for scrutiny.
Recall that on October 16, 2018, Wike made a startling revelation a couple of supposed plot to hurt former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, who was having a working battle with EFCC over alleged mismanagement of funds whereas in workplace.
This worry entertained by Wike then, although nicely over 5 years in the past is especially related now, as Bello has discovered himself within the EFCC’s crosshairs, dealing with allegations that many consider are politically charged reasonably than primarily based on real anti-corruption efforts.
Now, it’s crucial for Nigerians to stay vigilant concerning the motives behind these investigations. The timing and depth of the EFCC’s actions towards Bello counsel a technique that extends past mere graft allegations.
The narrative is troubling: a sample of concentrating on sure people below the guise of corruption investigations, significantly those that are perceived as threats to established political energy.
The case of Ayodele Fayose, with the worry Wike entertained then ought to function a poignant reminder of how political motivations can intertwine with the authorized course of.
For many Nigerians, the state of affairs raises alarms concerning the EFCC’s integrity, and questions needs to be objectively requested.
Is the company really dedicated to combating corruption, or is it merely a weapon wielded by these in energy to silent perceived dissent?
The notion that Bello’s case is politically motivated undermines the credibility of the EFCC and reinforces the idea that the company operates inside a politicized framework.
Finally, it’s crucial for residents to stay alert to the potential penalties of such actions. The security of political figures, the legitimacy of investigations, and the broader implications for democracy are at stake.
The threat isn’t just to Bello, however to the ideas of justice and equity that ought to govern our political panorama.
Ozumi Abdul Fnipr is a journalist,author, columnist and public relations guide. He may be reached by way of [email protected]