Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately arrest and produce in court the immediate past Kogi State governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello who is alleged to be a fugitive from the law.
HURIWA said the indecision on the part of EFCC to go all out to apprehend and physically produce the alleged fugitive from the law before the court of law, is a betrayal of the institution of the anti-corruption.
The Rights group asked the Chairman of the EFCC to resign if EFCC is too weak and too afraid to arrest Alhaji Yahaya Bello even when it is apparent that the EFCC has a working knowledge of the hideout if it analytically assess the public statements made by a very senior officer of the EFCC.
HURIWA recalled that the EFCC’S acting Zonal Director, Benin Zonal Command, Mr. Effa Okim was quoted in the media on June 13th 2024 as disclosing that the EFCC is ‘aware’ of the hideout of Alhaji Yahaya Bello thus: ” Can’t we catch him? WE CAN, but do we go all out to catch him? Do we need to do that when he has his masters? Can’t they call him and tell him, ‘You are disgracing Nigeria. What are you telling the World? Tell him to go and explain himself like others have done.”
HURIWA in a statement said it is a moral disaster for Nigeria that the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Thursday failed to appear in court as agreed in the last hearing in the same court by his lawyers but instead the erstwhile governor is urging the Federal High Court in Abuja to transfer his case with the EFCC to Kogi.
HURIWA recalled that rather than present himself for trial, his lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, told the court on Thursday that since he was alleged to have committed the offence when he was the governor of Kogi State, it is proper for the case to be held in the state, TVC reports.
HURIWA recalled that the EFCC had arraigned the former governor on alleged N82 billion fraud before the Justice Nwite-led court.
The former governor had on four occasions refused to appear in court, citing various reasons, like bias against him by the anti-graft agency.
HURIWA through the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko called on the EFCC to stop the circus shows that it is staging with the former helmsman of Kogi state and proceed to arrest him since the EFCC has admitted knowing those who are shielding him from arrest.
“Anything less than arresting Yahaya Bello within the next 24 hours should be interpreted as massive compromise by the EFCC to undermine the anti-graft war just as the Rights group has called on all credible civil society organisations to mount pressure on the EFCC’S Chairman to either arrest Yahaya Bello now or quietly step down from office.”
