The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said former Kogi State’s Governor Yahaya Bello must be made to face the law as he is currently charged with money laundering, breach of trust, and the misappropriation of N80.2 billion, during his tenure.
Also, EFCC reacted to media reports alleging that N54 billion forfeited by some associates of a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele was “shared” among certain ministers and aides of President Tinubu, in collaboration with EFCC officials”.
In a statement released, the commission said none of its officials was or has ever been involved in the “sharing” of any proceeds of forfeited assets.
Speaking at the News Central TV interview, Spokesman for EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said the agency had declared Bello wanted after multiple attempts to arrest him were unsuccessful and are unaware of his current location.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja on August 20, 2024, ordered Bello to face trial on corruption charges brought against him by the EFCC.
Reacting to the judgement, Oyewale said: “The Court of Appeal is just to amplify the position of the commission and also to establish the fact that we are focused concerning his matter”.
“We are collaborating with both local and international law enforcement agencies to ensure Bello’s arrest.
“As it is now, Yahaya Bello cannot come into the open. He cannot make himself available anywhere because he has become a fugitive, and we all know the instruments of the law.
“Anywhere he is sighted, he would be arrested.”
In its statement during the week, the commission stated that the notion of “sharing of proceeds of forfeited assets” is strange to the Commission.
The statement partly read: ‘’The sensational report which was promoted ostensibly to scandalise the agencies mentioned, betrays the author’s ignorance of the existing asset recovery and management framework. Both the EFCC Act, 2004 and the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, are unambiguous in terms of the accounts into which proceeds of forfeited assets are to be paid.
There is no “platform” for the “sharing of forfeited assets”; the notion itself being infantile. Otherwise, Sahara reporters would not have withheld information about when and how the sharing took place and who got what. The TRUTH is, it simply did not happen!
“Dishing fiction to the public as news is the height of irresponsibility and EFCC will not tolerate any attempt to defame its hard-earned reputation.”
