AGF Urges Yahaya Bello To Submit Himself To EFCC For Probe

By Akinwale Kasali

Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General of the Federation, and Minister of Justice, has urged former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello to stop his hide and seek game and submit himself to Anti Graft Agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and follow the path of decency.

Bello is on the wanted list of the EFCC for Probe over alleged corrupt practices while in office as governor of Kogi State.

The EFCC had stormed Bello’s Residence in Abuja with the aim of arresting and arraigning him in Court over Corruption allegations leveled against him, but he has been playing hide and seek games with the anti graft agency, in connivance with the incumbent Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo. The AGF has called him to order.

In a statement signed by the AGF today, he said the EFCC is empowered by law to invite any Nigerian for interrogation.

The AGF berated Governor Ododo for using his immunity to prevent Bello’s arrest on Wednesday as ‘disquieting’, adding that he embarked on a temporising self-help and escapism that can only put Nigeria in bad light before the rest of the world is not the way to go.

According to him, he stands for the rule of law and will ensure no right of any Nigerian is trampled upon.

The AGF in the terse statement said, “The bizarre drama confronting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the course of its efforts to perform its statutory duty has come to my notice (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) as a matter of very grave concern.

“It is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigation into any matter regardless of status. Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC but to honourably answer their invitation.

“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting. A flight

from the law does not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbates it.

“I state unequivocally that I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC and indeed any other agency to order when there is indication of any transgression of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies but I also tenaciously hold the view that institutions of State should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently. Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.

“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism that can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world”, the statement reads.