Kogi House seeks Olukoyede’s sack as EFCC chair, women protest over Bello

Ex-gov urged to appear in court tomorrow

The Kogi State House of Assembly has sought the immediate removal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, over the alleged unprofessional handling of the case against the immediate past governor of the state, Yahaya Bello. 
 

THIS is even as Bello, who is facing trial for alleged N80.2 billion fraud, has been urged to appear in court tomorrow.
  
His appearance at a Federal High Court in Abuja where the anti-agency is trying him, according to top security sources, would allow him to take his plea regarding the 19-count charge filed against him.
 
The defendant, who left office in January, had avoided court sessions at least five times – specifically on April 18, April 23, May 10, June 13 and July 17.
  
Speaking yesterday on condition of anonymity, a highly-placed source disclosed that tomorrow had been fixed as another day for the ex-governor to appear in court and take his plea while describing his appearance as “only saving grace and last opportunity.”
 
When contacted, the spokesman of the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that the new court session had been slated for tomorrow, but declined further comments on the matter.

BESIDES, women in their number took to the streets at the weekend to protest Bello’s continued trial.
 
Calling on President Bola Tinubu to call the EFCC to order, they insisted that the former governor had done more than any governor of the state for the people since its creation. 

Led by various community leaders and party faithful, the women converged on the state capital to condemn what they also described as a “witch-hunt” by the anti-graft body.
   
They called on the President to urgently intervene in the matter by directing the EFCC to allow the courts to do their job. 
 
‘We stand with our leader, Yahaya Bello, in this trying time. We believe he has been targeted unfairly, and we demand justice. We won’t watch him lose his life,” one of the protesters, identified as Hajiya Halima Abass, said.
 
“The EFCC should focus on genuine cases of corruption, not political vendetta,” another protester, who simply identified herself as Mrs Boluwaji, added.
   
The various women group leaders, who spoke in their local dialects – Igala, Ebira, Yoruba and others, urged the commission to be professional in its “handling of the case against the state leader, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.”