By Seyi Babalola
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) increased its efforts on Tuesday to prosecute Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, and Hadi Sirika, a former Minister of Aviation, for alleged theft of public money.
The EFCC has declared Bello wanted in connection with the suspected theft of over N80 billion from the Kogi treasury.
The anti-graft agency is now trying to charge him with 19 charges of suspected money laundering, breach of trust, and theft of funds totaling N80.2 billion.
Last week, the EFCC attempted to arrest Bello by laying siege to his residence in an attempt to prosecute him in court for alleged crimes committed during his eight years as governor of the state.
According to reports, EFCC officials and armed security guards blocked Bello’s Abuja house, barring both gates to his residence on Benghazi Street in Wuse Zone 4.
However, the decision faced with strong opposition from Governor Usman Ododo, whom the panel accused of taking Bello away from his Abuja home in his government car.
While the scenario unfolded, a contradicting court order about the former governor’s detention surfaced on Wednesday.
One of the rulings, which came from a Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja, restrained the EFCC from arresting, detaining or prosecuting Bello.
The order was given by Justice I.A Jamil, ruling that infringing on the fundamental human rights of the former Kogi was null and void except as authorised by the court.
“By this order, the EFCC is hereby restrained from arresting, detaining and prosecuting the applicant except as authorised by the Court.
“This is a definite order following the earlier interim injunction given,” he said.
However, the EFCC, obtained permission from the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to arrest the ex-Kogi State governor in preparation for his arraignment last Thursday.
The warrant was granted by Justice Emeka Nwite at the instance of the EFCC.
During his planned arraignment in court on Thursday, Bello absconded trial at the federal high court in Abuja, making the Counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Phinro, to inform the court that Bello’s absence in court was a strategy to frustrate his trial.
On Tuesday, the Chairman of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede, came hard on Bello and vowed to follow his prosecution to a logical conclusion.
Olukoyede also vowed to resign as EFCC chairman if the ex-governor is not prosecuted.
He disclosed that the embattled former governor allegedly withdrew $720,000 from the government account.
According to him, Bello wired the money to a Bureau de Change operator to pay for his child’s school fees in advance.
He said: “A sitting governor, because he knew he was leaving office, moved money directly from the government to Bureau de Change (and) used it to pay his child’s school fee in advance.
“Over $720,000 or thereabout, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House. In a poor state like Kogi? And you want me to close my eyes under the guise of ‘I’m being used’. Used by who? At this stage of my life? Used by who?” He queried.
Olukoyede, who spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during an interactive session with newsmen, also revealed how he put a phone call across to Bello on the allegations of corruption against him.
He said Bello wanted EFCC to come to his village to interrogate him.
“I called Yahaya Bello, as a serving governor, to come to my office to clear himself. I shouldn’t have done that.
“But he said because a certain senator has planted over 100 journalists in my office, he would not come.
“I told him that he would be allowed to use my private gate to give him a cover, but he said my men should come to his village to interrogate him,” he further disclosed.
Before now, Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, had urged Yahaya Bello to submit himself to the EFCC.
According to Onanuga, Bello has nowhere to run to.
The statement came after EFCC declared Bello wanted for an alleged financial crime to the tune of N80.2 billion.
In a post on his X handle, Onanuga said Bello should submit himself to the EFCC and get a good lawyer.
He said: “Yahaya Bello, where will you run to? You should submit yourself to the EFCC and get a good lawyer.”
EFCC questions ex-Aviation Minister Sirika on alleged N8 billion theft.
Still, on Tuesday, the Commission questioned Hadi Sirika, a former Minister of Aviation, on the alleged N8 billion Nigeria Air scam.
The accused ex-minister appeared at the EFCC’s Federal Capital Territory Command at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Olukoyede, who revealed that the EFCC is probing the Aviation and Humanitarian Affairs ministries, stated that the investigation is not only about Sirika and Betta Edu, but also about the two ministries.
“It is the system I am investigating and whosoever is now found culpable along the line, those are the names you will hear,” Olukoyede stated.
Sirika was accused of conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, contract inflation, criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to ₦8,069,176,864.
The Commission alleged that the sum was for four aviation contracts from the former minister to a company known as Engirios Nigeria Limited, owned by his younger brother.
The agency said apart from being listed as the company’s MD/CEO, Abubakar was the sole signatory to the company’s two accounts, domiciled in Zenith and Union banks.
Sirika was also alleged to have awarded the contracts to his brother Abubakar, knowing that he is a civil servant, a deputy director on Level 16 in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, where he has been working since 2000 till date.
