The media space has been awash with the drags between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Alhaji Yahaya Bello. This is due largely to the EFCC constant media updates and unusual public
interest in the matter. This in turn has thrown up media hubris which seem to turn the whole case into media trial and circus.
The EFCC pursuit against Alh. Yahaya Bello did not start today. Some of us who has been watching closely remember the itinerary of suits against Alh. Yahaya Bello even while he was a sitting Governor which enjoyed the constitutional immunity from such suits or charges against him.
It will be recalled that at the dawn of Alh. Bello’s election and upon his assumption in the office, the EFCC heavily beamed its searchlight and constant surveillance on the governor and his appointees. It was not the case of the EFCC acting undercover, it was an open covert operation that it became the talk of the town that EFCC is hovering around the government house in Lokoja.
Some of the political appointees under Alh. Bello then, were constantly invited to Abuja for interrogations, investigation and interviews. In fact, they seem to become customers at the EFCC office in Abuja as invitations seem to be endless. This prompted the state government to seek the intervention of the court and an injunction against the EFCC before the EFCC temporary desist from the constant harassment of the appointees and the government.
Again, in November, 2021, the media was inundated with “20 Billion Naira Bailout Loan Saga” alleged to have been kept in a deposit account by the Kogi State government. The EFCC alleged that the “illegal deposit” was orchestrated by the government and in a swift action, the EFCC was challenged to provide a proof of the allegation while the Sterling Bank Plc where the money was alleged to have been domiciled absolved the state government of the allegation and the EFCC finally withdrawn the case from the court.
The EFCC was at again when they went to court around February 2023 to seek for property forfeiture alleged to belong to Alh. Yahaya Bello despite the fact that he was immune against such court suit and on the 26th April, 2023, Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos, struck out the suit on the ground that section 308 of the 1999 Constitution prevents the institution of any criminal or civil case against a sitting governor or the President. Nothing was heard of the suit again.
The media was rife again when the Chairman of the EFCC, Olanipekun Olukoyede, held a press briefing accusing Alh. Yahaya Bello of money laundry to the tune of N80.2B. Mr. Olukoyede predated the charge to February 2016. It get interesting when the EFCC chairman vowed to resign if he doesn’t arraign or prosecute Alh. Yahaya Bello and it is shocking that despite the existing court order restraining the EFCC from arresting Alh. Bello, the EFCC defied the Court’s order and orchestrated a warrant of arrest from the Federal High Court, Abuja against Alh. Bello.
Not stopping, the EFCC has again filled N110.4B suit against Alh. Yahaya Bello and two others for the offense bordering on criminal breach of trust, and conspiracy to commit an offence at the FCT High Court before Justice Maryanne Anenih. It is unmistakable to infer that the EFCC is all out against Alh. Yahaya Bello.
One will wonder why the ceaseless fight against Alh. Yahaya Bello. Why did EFCC flout the court order and even attempted to erode the constitutional provisions in the fight against the Alh. Bello? Why did it get personal with the EFCC chairman? Is Alh. Yahaya Bello a threat to any political merchant?
The actions of the EFCC so far raise a lot of fundamental questions in their modus operandi. They have set themselves to be above the law, treating the rule of law with impunity and appearing to be instrument of vendetta in the hand of vengeful politicians.
The integrity of the EFCC in the fight against Alh. Yahaya Bello is tinted. They might have flaunted professionalism in the discharge of their duties but the blind can see that they are nothing close to that.
It is Alh. Yahaya Bello today, it could be you tomorrow who will be a victim of political vendetta in the hand of an institution who can be used by the political predators.
– E. S. Olaniyan.
Political Analyst and legal enthusiast.
