The former governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, reportedly evaded arrest by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, with the assistance of his successor, Governor Usman Ododo.
Recall that on Wednesday night, the EFCC had laid siege to the Kogi state Government Lodge in Abuja in an attempt to apprehend Bello, who is wanted over an alleged N80.2bn fraud case.
Interestingly, Ododo allegedly helped Bello avoid arrest, leveraging the immunity he enjoys as a sitting governor.
The incident follows a similar attempt in April, where Ododo reportedly facilitated Belloâs escape from EFCC operatives during a raid in Abuja.
Speaking on what transpired on Wednesday night, one of the officials who pleaded anonymity told The Punch that:
As of the time of filing this report, EFCCâs spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, is yet to speak on the matter.
Daily Trust reported that Bello had since returned to the State Government House in Lokoja, Kogi state capital, where he had been hiding before he came to Abuja to âhonour EFCC invitationâ.
The Cable also confirmed the report in its publication.
Read more about Yahaya Bello here:
Earlier, TimesNow.com.ng reported that Usman Okai Austin, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi state, backed the EFCC’s decision to place Bello on Interpol watch.
Okai who was the PDP candidate in 2023 for the Dekina/Bassa house of representatives election, maintained that this move rekindled the hope for justice in the face of alleged wrongdoing.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
