- Halimah Olamide
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday declared wanted former Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
The commission said Bello is wanted in connection with an N80bn money laundering case.
This declaration is coming a day after the rumpus at the Abuja residence of the former Governor on Wednesday when operatives of the commission stormed his residence to arrest him.
Bello had however reportedly been taken out of the residence foiling the attempt to arrest him.
Speaking on his alleged harassment he said the whole issue amounted to political witch-hunt
His Media Office had alleged that the N80 billion looting accusation against him is a desperate political witch hunt.
This was contained in a statement made available to NPO Reports on Wednesday.
The EFCC alleged that the former Governor converted over N80bn Kogi State funds to personal use in September 2015, which was before he became governor.
However, the commission has now modified the date of the alleged offences to be February 2016, which is Mr Bello’s first month in office as governor, instead of September 2015 that was stated in the old charge.
In the new case, the EFCC accused Mr Bello, his nephew, Ali Bello; Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu (said to still be at large) of conspiring to convert the total sum of N80 billion (N80, 246,470, 088.88) in February 2016.
EFCC alleged in the count that Mr Bello and others “reasonably ought to have known” that the money “forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity” – criminal breach of trust.
EFCC also alleged in another count that Mr Bello, between 26 July 2021 to 6 April 2022 in Abuja aided a firm, E-Traders International Limited, to conceal the aggregate sum of over N3 billion (N3,081,804,654) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access Bank Plc.
Reacting to this, the statement read in part,
“Masterminds of this unending persecution have hurriedly repackaged their script, this time dragging the name of the EFCC further in the mud.
“In a miscalculated bid to satisfy their paymasters at all costs, some desperate politicians have pushed the EFCC to approach another Federal High Court in Abuja, with the same set of questionable allegations without waiting for the determination of the two preceding cases they’ve filed in two different Courts simultaneously.