By our correspondent
The media office of the former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of double standard, saying that it was working for some unknown interests by its continued targeting of the former governor.
Meanwhile, the EFCC earlier on Thursday had filed fresh charges against Yahaya Bello and two others at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
In the suit marked: CR/7781/2024, Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, were accused of spending over N110 billion of public funds to acquire several properties in Abuja and in Dubai.
The suit dated September 24 but filed on September 25, by the anti-graft lawyer, Mr Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, accused the defendants of criminal breach of trust, an offence punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.
A reaction by Bello’s media office signed by its Director, Ohiare Michael, described the EFCC move as malicious intentions against the former Governor rather than the EFCC’s pretentious fight against corruption.
“The EFCC has already shown to the world, with its operational blunder, last Wednesday, that there is another motive behind its fixation on Kogi State and the former Governor other than the fight against corruption. The interesting thing is that the more the Commission issues press statements under tension, the more glaring this assertion becomes.
“It is, however, sad that an agency as important as the EFCC has now degenerated to the level of crafting press statements in rogue styles to satisfy the hirers of the gun. Even if he is striving hard to keep his shirt by satisfying some supposed benefactors, like some have insinuated, the EFCC Chairman must be reminded that we are a member of the global village.
“What the Commission should be doing now is self re-appraisal with a view to repairing whatever is left of its battered image and not still dragging the name of our President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the mud with practices that are completely alien to the fight against corruption the world over.
“We want to reiterate that former Governor Yahaya Bello has acted like a democrat by subscribing to the rule of law and by approaching competent courts of jurisdiction to protect him. He is never afraid of facing justice, hence his submission to the trials at various courts. The laws allow for representation and he has constantly been represented by his lawyers. As a Nigerian, he has the right to explore all avenues within the rule of law to protect his fundamental human rights. The EFCC cannot dictate to him, or anyone for that matter, how to go about this”, Yahaya Bello’s media office said.
It added: “Right now, it seems the only task before the EFCC is to execute a desperate hatchet job of destroying the former governor’s reputation and defaming him for no justifiable reason.
“But the EFCC must enlighten itself on the fact that Former Governor Yahaya Bello remains innocent of the trumped up charges against him until proven guilty by a competent court of jurisdiction.”
According to Bello’s media office, the officials of the same EFCC that said the former governor could not be interrogated or detained because he came with a sitting Governor, went to the official lodge of the same sitting governor, while he was there, shooting sporadically, to forcefully arrest a man that had previously been in their office for over four hours!
“Former Governor Yahaya Bello will fight to the end on the lane of constitutionality and will not succumb to the baits and traps of an Agency that has shown bias, contempt and a clear attempt on his life.
“If the EFCC was truly interested in prosecution and not a deal by some unknown persons to humiliate the former governor and probably harm him for political reasons, would the agency not have taken him in on that day with a view to arraigning him in court on the next adjourned date?” the statement said.
