Kogi: EFCC Tightens Grip On Bello

The immediate past Governor of Kogi state has no place to hide. This appears to be the message from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC which has obtained a warrant of arrest for the former governor.

The commission has been granted the permission by a Federal High court in Abuja to arrest him barely few hours after he managed to escape from his residence.

Sources from the commission informed the magazine that the former governor could be arraigned on Thursday barring any last minute change of plans by the agency.

The development comes on the heels of an order of a High Court in Kogi state restraining the EFCC from arresting the former governor for prosecution.

The EFCC, which is investigating Bello for allegedly stealing close to N100 billion alongside some state officials while in office, stormed the former governor’s residence in Asokoro, Abuja the nation’s capital with the intension to arrest him on Wednesday, but he was whisked away by his successor, Usman Ododo after a long standoff with the operatives of the anti-graft agency.

Governor Ododo, a strong ally of the former governor was said to have led some supporters of the former governor to his residence in protest against the EFCC, following which he drove him away to an unknown destination in his convoy.

According to report, the EFCC had laid a siege in Bello’s residence for hours yesterday, but could not arrest him due to the protection of the former governor’s personal security and a contingent of Special forces from the Nigerian Police Force, NPF.

Few hours after he escaped with his successor, the former governor obtained an order from a High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, restraining the EFCC from infringing on his fundamental human rights.

In a two-hour judgement delivered on yesterday, at the High Court 4 and presided over by Justice I.A Jamil, in suit No: HCL/68/M/2020, the court restrained the EFCC from arresting, detaining and prosecuting the applicant (Bello) except as authorised by the Court.

The court’s latest consequential order followed the earlier interim injunction given by the same court.

The ex-governor, the magazine recalls had brought a suit before the court seeking to enforce his fundamental rights against the EFCC.