In a recent statement, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, shed light on the ongoing challenges faced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in apprehending former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Bello, who served from May 2015 to May 2023, is currently wanted for alleged financial crimes totaling N80.2 billion.
Onanuga, speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, revealed that the complexities of the case are exacerbated by the immunity enjoyed by Bello’s successor, Governor Usman Ododo.
This legal protection has effectively shielded Bello from arrest, as he is believed to be taking refuge within Ododo’s residence.
“It’s a bit complicated,” Onanuga stated. “The EFCC is an agency of the Federal Government, and it wants to arrest Yahaya Bello.
Yahaya Bello is hiding under the agbada of the governor of Kogi State, his successor, who happens to enjoy immunity. That’s the problem.”
He elaborated, explaining that if Bello remains inside Ododo’s home, law enforcement cannot legally intervene without infringing upon the governor’s rights.
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Onanuga likened the situation to that of a diplomat enjoying certain protections: “You remember in the UK when they were looking for the Wikileaks man and he went to hide in one embassy in Britain. There was nothing they could do.”
The EFCC has made several attempts to apprehend Bello, but each effort has been thwarted by the protective measures afforded to Governor Ododo.
Onanuga emphasized that this ongoing standoff poses a significant challenge for the EFCC and the police, who are bound by legal constraints in their pursuit of Bello.
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