Yahaya Bello, the former Governor of Kogi State, is said to have dodged arrest by EFCC officials on Wednesday, reportedly with the assistance of his successor, Governor Usman Ododo.
The EFCC had surrounded the Kogi State Government Lodge in Abuja in an effort to apprehend Bello, who is wanted in connection with a ₦80.2 billion fraud case.
An insider revealed that "Yahaya Bello has not been arrested. The Kogi State governor interfered with our operations yesterday, just as he did previously. He took Bello away and our men were unable to act due to the immunity he (Ododo) enjoys."
The EFCC also explained their refusal to accept Bellos method of presenting himself to the commission. They stated "Upon realizing that Bello arrived with the governor and other dignitaries, the Executive Chairman instructed that no official should attend to him.
His manner of appearing before the EFCC breached our protocol. No Nigerian, regardless of their status, is expected to show up for an invitation with a convoy of vehicles and a sitting governor. To the EFCC, he arrived in a manner that was inconsistent with our procedures."
Bello skipped several documentation steps due to the governors presence who is protected by immunity.
The EFCC did not extend an invitation to the governor, so there was no justification for him to accompany Bello to our Abuja headquarters. We are uneasy about the governors involvement in this matter.
Bello was expected to complete all the procedures and have his lawyer(s) with him not a governor or other Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs). We will not be cowed or allow our system to be compromised by political interference.
This led the Executive Chairman to order that no official should assist Bello. He must adhere to the process like any other invitee.
The commission was also dissatisfied with the preemptive media campaign launched by Bellos team which disseminated misleading narratives. There were assertions that the former governor was already in EFCC custody, the source added.
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