By Richards Ibe
The ex-Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who handed over to the current governor of the state, Usman Ododo in January this year after his two terms of four-years-tenure, has consistently been in the news in the past eight months.
It has been from one drama to the other bordering on his stewardship and how he handled the affairs of the state under his tenure.
Bello, who was alleged to have defrauded the state to the tune of N84 billion during his tenure, have done everything in and out of the books to avoid his trial spearheaded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
On Thursday, March 14, 2024, the EFCC had dragged the former governor before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja for alleged N84 billion money laundering offences, alongside his nephew Ali Bello, Dauda Sulaiman and Abdulsalam Hudu.
The Anti-graft agency was prosecuting the quartet on an amended 17-count charge of money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of fund to tune of N84, 062,406,089.88 (Eighty-four Billion, Sixty-two Million, Four Hundred and Six Thousand, Eighty-nine Naira, Eighty-eight Kobo).
To make way for Yahaya Bello’s inclusion in the trial, prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, informed the court of an application before it for the amendment of the charges against the defendants, dated February 5, 2024, and filed the same day.
After prayers that the amended charges be read to the defendants for them to take their pleas, the judge had granted the prayer, overruling objections from A.M Aliyu SAN, and Olusegun Joolawo SAN, counsels to Ali Bello and Suleiman, first and second defendants.
Count one of the charges had read: “That you, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, Yahaya Adoza Bello (still at large) and Abdulsalam Hudu (still at large), sometime in September, 2015 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eighty-nine Naira, Eighty-eight Kobo), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(b) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.”
Also distancing itself from the proceeds of fraud, the American International School, Abuja had in April 2024 refunded to the EFCC the sum of $760,000 paid by Yahaya Bello as advanced school fees for his children at the tail end of his administration as governor of Kogi State.
Bello was alleged to have paid $720,000 in advance as fees for five of his children in Grade Levels 2 to 8 in the school from the coffers of the Kogi State Government.
Confirming the development in April, the EFCC Spokesman, Dele Oyewale, had declared “The school has refunded the entire $760, 000 to the EFCC’s recovery account,”
Going into hiding, Yahaya Bello had severally refused to appear in court in person to clear the allegations raised against him.
Some eminent Nigerians had pleaded with Yahaya Bello to come out and answer the charges against him and that he should not be giving former governors bad name.
One of those who gave the advice was the immediate-past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, on Sunday, 28th of April 2024.
Speaking at a Redeemed Christian Church of God in Makurdi, Benue State during the thanksgiving service organised by his aides for his 63rd birthday celebration, Ortom advised Bello to come out of hiding and answer his case with the EFCC.
Ortom had said that Yahaya Bello’s continued hiding would bring disgrace to former governors across the country.
“I want to use this opportunity to advise my younger brother and friend, Governor Yahaya Bello, not to disgrace former governors.
“You don’t need to hide. You don’t need to resist arrest or anything. Go there and respond. The EFCC (officials) are human beings. If they are making inquiries, the laws are there.
“I have tried to get him on the phone, but I could not. I have tried those around him but I could not, so I want this to be noted. Wherever he is, if he can hear me, thank God the press is here, he should come out.” Ortom had stated.
Even though immunity no longer covers the ex-Governor, he has reportedly been assisted to evade arrest by his successor, Kogi State Governor Ododo, presently enjoying immunity as the sitting governor of the North Central state.
To ensure that justice is served, some eminent Nigerians have also called on Governor Ododo to hand over Yahaya Bello to the law for prosecution.
A political activist, Usman Okai Austin had cautioned Governor Ododo against being hypocritical and obstructing anti-graft war.
He had charged Ododo to demonstrate his dedication to fighting corruption by taking concrete steps to hand over Yahaya Bello to the EFCC for investigation.
In a statement, Okai had also questioned Ododo’s commitment to fighting corruption, particularly in light of allegations that he is protecting Bello.
He criticized the enacted Kogi State anti-corruption Bill under Ododo, as he accused Ododo of hypocrisy and labeled the legislation as a mockery of the entire anti-corruption system.
Okai cited and faulted an occasion when Ododo was reportedly seen “accompanying Bello to a Sallah celebration in Okene, despite Bello’s alleged involvement in corrupt activities.
“This perceived complicity has raised concerns about the governor’s true intentions in the fight against corruption and has prompted calls for him to take decisive action to uphold the rule of law.
“As a prominent figure in Kogi State politics, it is imperative that governor Ododo addresses these concerns and takes concrete steps to demonstrate his commitment to combating corruption and promoting good governance in Kogi State.
“Despite his declaration to ‘attack corrupt practices and make it impossible for corruption to thrive,’ his actions suggest otherwise.
“To genuinely demonstrate his dedication to fighting corruption, Governor Ododo must take concrete steps, such as handing Yahaya Bello over to the EFCC for investigation.
“Until then, his actions will be seen as hypocritical and obstructing the anti-corruption war.
“We urge Governor Ododo to practice what he preaches and take meaningful action against corruption by handing over the wanted Bello to the EFCC.”
A popular activist lawyer, Deji Adeyanju also charged Governor Ododo to hand over his predecessor, Yahaya Bello to the EFCC for trial.
“Ododo, the impunity-loving governor of Kogi State should hand over Yahaya Bello to the EFCC to face trial for all his corrupt acts.” Adeyanju wrote on his Facebook page.
While Ododo has failed to heed the advice, the anti-graft agency has been seeking ways to bring Yahaya Bello to justice.
In an attempt to bring the ex-Governor to justice, some EFCC operatives had on Wednesday 17th of April 2024 stormed Yahaya Bello’s Abuja home at Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
Ododo had reportedly assisted in whisking away Bello in his official car from the scene to evade the arrest.
Kicking against the EFCC move, the ex-governor’s media office, in a statement, had claimed that the presence of the operatives in Bello’s residence negated the order of injunction granted on February 9, 2024, by the High Court of Justice, Lokoja Division, in Suit No. HCL/68M/2024 between Yahaya Bello v. EFCC, restraining the commission either by itself or its agents from harassing, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting him, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive fundamental rights enforcement action.
Despite Yahaya Bello been declared wanted and going into hiding for several months, especially after the sting operation in his Abuja home, he is reported to be perpetually hanging around his successor Ododo to evade arrest.
On Wednesday September 18th 2024, Yahaya Bello came out of hiding for months and visited the EFCC office in the company of Ododo.
At the EFCC office, he was said to have snapped pictures with security guards, and to create the impression that he has turned himself in to the anti-graft agency.
But the EFCC was said to have been hindered from arresting Yahaya Bello as Ododo’s governorship immunity prevented the operatives from taking further action.
Doing otherwise, would have resulted in confrontation between the security personnel protecting the governor and the anti-graft agency, which may lead to gun duel and lost of lives.
Speaking on the latest development on Wednesday, EFCC officials said Ododo helped Bello to escape again just like in April.
One of the officials said, “Yahaya Bello has not been arrested. The Kogi State governor prevented operatives from doing their work yesterday just like he did the other time. He took him away and our men could not do anything because of the immunity he (Ododo) is enjoying.”
In another attempt to get Bello to answer the charges against him, EFCC operatives again on the same night of Wednesday September 18th 2024 stormed the Kogi State Government Lodge in Abuja.
Yahaya Bello, again was reported to have evaded arrest by EFCC operatives with the assistance of his successor, Governor Ododo, leveraging on the immunity being enjoyed by Ododo as a sitting governor.
Apart from Ododo’s immunity covering, which Yahaya Bello has been hiding under in the past eight months, some questions are also now on the lips of some well-meaning Nigerians.
Topmost of these questions is if Yahaya Bello is also getting support and protection from another influencial personality in the Presidency, who has security background.
With these dodging of the law going on for months, it is hightime the fight against corruption in the country is really allowed to thrive.
As a matter of urgency, Yahaya Bello should immediately turn himself in for the N84 billion money laundering trial.
He should have nothing to fear if his hands are clean and has served the people of Kogi State to the best of his ability for eight years.
Even though Bello played a great role in Ododo’s emergence as the governor of Kogi State, Ododo should now start concentrating on serving the good people of Kogi State as he has sworn to do and allow Bello to carry his cross and face the course of the law.
Any other influencial person backing Yahaya Bello in the Presidency, irrespective of whatever he has gained from Bello in the past, should also stop forthwith in order not to soil the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who didn’t shy away from suspending a Minister linked to corruption.