ABUJA – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has described former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s recent visit to its office as a publicity stunt, questioning his sincerity in cooperating with the commission.
Recall that Bello’s visit occurred amidst his ongoing money laundering case, which has been adjourned to October 30, 2024, for a ruling at the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite.
The EFCC alleged that Bello was not genuinely prepared to surrender himself, contrary to his public claims.
The commission noted that Bello had another opportunity to appear before Justice Nwite on Wednesday but failed to do so, further fueling doubts about his intentions.
EFCC officials had previously visited Bello at the Kogi Governor’s lodge to request his presence, but he refused to accompany them. This, according to the EFCC, exposed his insincerity and suggested he had something to hide.
The EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed these details during an interview on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Thursday.
Uwujaren emphasized that Bello’s actions were inconsistent with someone genuinely seeking to cooperate with the commission.
Additionally, the EFCC revealed that Bello’s media team had disseminated false information about his visit, claiming he had been detained by the commission even before his arrival.
According the Uwujaren, this misinformation was spread across various media platforms, sparking unnecessary speculation.
He said: “That is enough to convince Nigerians that his presence at the EFCC on the 18th of September was more of a stunt, not really that he wanted to abide by the rule of law.
“When EFCC officials went to the Kogi Governor’s lodge to ask him to come back, he would have followed them if he had no issue presenting himself to the commission. If he had done that, he would have complied with the decision of the Court of Appeal, which mandated him to formally present himself. That, as I am concerned, exposed his insincerity in appearing at the car park of the EFCC on the 18th of September.
“Even before he arrived at the car park of the EFCC, he had already sent out media information across all platforms that he had presented himself to the EFCC, and they were even saying he had been detained, and that was not true. That alone showed us that he had a game plan. And that game plan can only be explained by him alone.”
