Yahaya Bello: Kogi Assembly demands EFCC chair’s sacking

The Kogi State House of Assembly, on Monday, called for the sacking of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, over what the Assembly described as the unprofessional handling of the corruption case against the immediate-past Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello.

The legislators, during Monday’s plenary in Lokoja, condemned EFCC’s siege to the Kogi State’s Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, in an attempt to arrest Bello last Wednesday.

The lawmakers accused the Olukoyede-led EFCC of attempting to assassinate both Bello and the incumbent Governor Usman Ododo by allegedly firing gunshots during the attempt to arrest Bello in Abuja.

The matter came up for deliberation at plenary on Monday after the lawmaker representing Ankpa 1 State Constituency, Akus Lawal, moved a motion of urgent public importance, which was seconded by the lawmaker representing Ijumu State Constituency, Jacob Olawunmi.

Moving the motion, Lawal argued that the approach taken by the EFCC in the alleged N80.2bn fraud case against Bello was humiliating.

Contributing to the debate, another lawmaker, Abu Jibril of Ajaokuta State, said the EFCC chairman should not only be removed but should also be prosecuted for allegedly attempting to kill Governor Ododo.

“The chairman has shown incompetence that warrants his removal,” Jibril said.

Also speaking, Bode Ogunmola, representing Ogori/Magongo State Constituency, argued that the governor’s lodge ought to have been respected by the EFCC operatives.

He said, “If I am in London and there is a crisis if I get to the Nigerian House, I will feel safe. If I am in Abuja and there is a crisis, I believe that if I get to the Kogi Lodge, I will be safe. For the EFCC Chairman to order that fire be opened on the official lodge of the governor, he should be sacked and prosecuted. We should be told why he wants to kill our governor.”

The Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, Suleiman AbdulRazak, alleged that officials of the EFCC were begging the former governor to let them pretend as if he was arrested.

He said this was an embarrassing act. Which showed that the anti-graft agency was acting according to a script written by some political enemies of the former governor.

The lawmaker, therefore, said President Bola Tinubu should be notified of the alleged assassination attempt on the present and former governors; adding that the whole drama was a show to embarrass the former governor.

He concluded that, on the fateful night, a coup attempt was committed at the Kogi State Governor’s Lodge and called on the President to immediately remove the EFCC Chairman to save the nation from further embarrassment.

The lawmakers concluded that the EFCC had an agenda different from the fight against corruption, which had been revealed by the way the commission approached the issue of arrest.

This, they said, must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians.

On his part, Yahaya Umar, representing Omala State Constituency, said, “The unlawful conducts of the EFCC show that the intention of the chairman is not to arrest former Governor Yahaya Bello, but to ridicule the state.

“The chronology of how the event happened shows that the problem of the chairman is not with the offences being alleged, but that they want to disgrace the defendant and Kogi State in general.”

On her part, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Comfort Egwaba, stated, “The EFCC is just trying to give the former governor a bad name through their media trial. The EFCC is not sincere in this fight. It has an agenda it is pursuing and the entire people of the state, particularly the women and youths, will not accept this.”

The Assembly, therefore, passed a resolution to ask President Tinubu to relieve the EFCC chairman of his job.

Reading the resolution of the Assembly, the Speaker, Aliyu Yusuf, said, “The House formally categorises the April 17 and September 18 incidents as assassination attempts on the former Governor, and by extension, a threat to the life of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.

“The unprovoked attack on the Governor’s Lodge and the firing of live rounds within a diplomatic residential zone further demonstrate that the EFCC has fully marinated in a sense of its own importance and power and now considers itself not only above the law but unanswerable to anyone or institution for its actions.

“Because the EFCC Chairman has shown constantly gross incompetence, the House has resolved that the President should relieve him of his appointment with immediate effect and replace him with a competent officer who will give Mr. President’s crusade for the rule of law the needed effectiveness.”

Meanwhile, a non-governmental organisation, Journalists, has accused the Kogi governor, Ododo, of shielding his predecessor and political godfather, Bello, from justice by allegedly obstructing the EFCC from arresting the ex-governor.

The NGO made the allegation in a statement signed by its Programmes Director, Kehinde Osifisan.

It called on President Tinubu to warn the Kogi governor to desist from the “obstruction of the statutory functions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the bid by the EFCC to arrest and prosecute the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello.”

JAC said it was dismayed that “Governor Ododo, who has sworn to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, could brazenly, unabashedly and persistently shield Yahaya Bello, away from accounting for his activities as Governor of Kogi State for eight years.”

“It would be recalled that a valid and subsisting warrant of arrest has earlier been issued against Bello. What is expected of a decent personality, especially a former governor, is to submit to the rule of law and make himself available for interrogation and possible prosecution. However, ex-governor Bello continues to make himself unavailable to the EFCC, aided and abetted by Governor Ododo.

“It is very clear and unambiguous that the immunity presently enjoyed by Governor Ododo does not cover his predecessor, who is a fugitive from the law. It is on this note that we are calling on President Tinubu not to watch the disgusting and internationally embarrassing scenario involving Bello and Ododo further, as it portends serious danger for the nation.

“But for the maturity and professionalism of the EFCC Chairman, Mr Olu Olukoyede, the invasion of the EFCC headquarters by Bello and Ododo on the 19th of September, 2024 with the full retinue of the Kogi Governor’s security convoy, which included armed mobile policemen, DSS operatives and others, n would have led to casualties, bearing in mind the inter-agency rivalry among the forces.

“While commending Mr. Olukoyede of the EFCC, we urge him not to be discouraged and to ensure he brings to book, not only Yahaya Bello, but all other so-called ‘scared cows’ who have stalled the progress of the nation with unmitigated corruption.”