- Safiu Kehinde
Yahaya Bello’s media aide, Ohiare Michael, has claimed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is not in position to dictate for the former Kogi state governor over the N80.2 billion money laundering charges against him.
Responding to the EFCC insistence on Yahaya Bello facing the charges at Abuja Federal High Court, Ohiare had, in a counter statement maintained that the former Kogi governor has the right to explore all avenues within the rule of law.
He noted that the laws allow for representation while stressing that Yahaya Bello is not afraid of justice as displayed when he submitted himself to the agency at their Abuja headquarters.
“We want to reiterate that former Governor Yahaya Bello has acted like a democrat by subscribing to the rule of law and by approaching competent courts of jurisdiction to protect him.
“He is never afraid of facing justice, hence his submission to the trials at various courts. The laws allow for representation and he has constantly been represented by his lawyers.
“As a Nigerian, he has the right to explore all avenues within the rule of law to protect his fundamental human rights.
“The EFCC cannot dictate to him, or anyone for that matter, how to go about this.
“Right now, it seems the only task before the EFCC is to execute a desperate hatchet job of destroying the former governor’s reputation and defaming him for no justifiable reason.” Ohiare wrote
Meanwhile, Ohiare claimed the embattled former governor is innocent as he recalled EFCC’s failure to detain him after he came to their office and the drama that ensued few hours after.
“But the EFCC must enlighten itself on the fact that Former Governor Yahaya Bello remains innocent of the trumped up charges against him until proven guilty by a competent court of jurisdiction.
“As we write, many informed Nigerians, at home and abroad, cannot still understand why an anti-graft agency, which had declared the former governor wanted, would beg him to go after four hours, after voluntarily presenting himself at the EFCC office.
“The most disturbing aspect of the whole saga is that officials of the same EFCC that said the former governor could not be interrogated or detained because he came with a sitting Governor, went to the official lodge of the same sitting governor, while he was there, shooting sporadically, to forcefully arrest a man that had previously been in their office for over four hours!” Ohiare added.