Details have emerged that embattled former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, is currently taking refuge at the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Yahaya for alleged N80.2billion money laundering.
The ex-governor is being protected by the security details attached to the incumbent Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, who was handpicked by him, The Metro has learnt.
It was further revealed that Ododo’s immunity is hindering security agencies the Nigerian Intelligence Agency, Department of State Services, the Nigerian Armed Forces, and the Nigeria Police Force, and the EFCC from storming the government house to effect Bello’s arrest.
EFCC investigators at the privy to Mr Bello’s whereabouts but were not authorized to speak, revealed the development to our correspondent in separate exclusive interviews.
One of the sources said, “We have tracked down Yahaya Bello and traced him to the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja. He’s being protected by Governor Ododo’s security details.”
“We have discovered Yahaya Bello’s hideout. He’s at the Kogi State Government House. But our operatives can’t go there to arrest him due to the immunity of the sitting governor. But since he had been declared wanted, the EFCC is counting on the secret services, the police, and the military to help smoke him out,” a second source noted.
Meanwhile, another impeccable source revealed that, “The Kogi state governor is shielding YahayaBello from arrest. They’re living together in the government house, the commission hopes that the federal government would give an order to any of its agencies to get him out for prosecution.”
Concerning the delay in the arrest of Yahaya Bellodespite being declared wanted, a top security source noted, “We can’t arrest him since he’s at the Government House.Governor Ododo’s immunity is hindering every security agency from storming the place to arrest Yahaya Bello.”
The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale could not be reached for comments on Friday.
When contacted over the development on Monday, Yahaya Bello’s media aide, Michael Ozigi, said he could not confirm the governor’s location.
“I cannot confirm that, please,” Mr Ozigi said in a telephone interview with our correspondent, adding that, “No comment, please.”
Meanwhile, Governor Ododo’s media aide, Ismail Isah could not be reached for comment on Monday, as his telephone line was switched off.
Weeks ago, Governor Ododo alongside his security details had aided Mr Bello in escaping arrest by the EFCC at his Abuja home.
The Metro reports how Yahaya Bello disregarded several invitations by the EFCC, urging him to meet with the anti-graft agency’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede and investigators over an alleged N80,246,470,088.88 money laundering.
It was confirmed that EFCC investigators invited Bello on several occasions through text messages and phone calls, but the 48-year-old fugitive ignored and disregarded the invitations by the commission.
This is contrary to claims making the rounds that Mr Bello wasn’t invited by the EFCC prior to the siege laid to his Abuja home months ago.
Senior EFCC sources who spoke with our correspondent over the matter confirmed the development, while noting that the commission would o everything within the scope of the law to bring Mr Bello to book.
A source had revealed, “The claims that the commission (EFCC) didn’t invite Yahaya Bellobefore our operatives went to his home in Abuja is not true. In fact, Mr Bello was invited by the EFCC on several occasions. Text messages were sent to him, and he was contacted via phone call and invited to come meet with the commission’s chairman and investigators over the ongoing probe into the alleged N80.2bn money laundering, but he failed to honour the invites, he never showed up.”
Another impeccable source noted, “YahayaBelloand his handlers are only being mischievous, the EFCC invited him many times, but he didn’t come. Even the Chairman asked to meet him personally over the investigation, but he didn’t show up before our operatives traced him to his Abuja home.”
The EFCC spokesperson, Oyewale had confirmed the development, saying, “Yes, the commission invited him, but he didn’t honour the invite.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force had detained a female police officer who was the aide-de-camp to Bello.
The ADC was arrested alongside other police officers attached to the 48-year-old fugitive, and are being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Federal Capital Territory.
Their arrests and detention followed a Thursday night order of the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, directing their immediate withdrawal from Mr Bello.
Senior police sources who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, noted that they were arrested on the suspicion that they aided and abetted Bello’s evasion of arrest by EFCC operatives.
Following the incident, the EFCC declared Mr Bellowanted for N80,246,470,088.88 money laundering.
The development was contained in a notice posted on the commission’s official Facebook page, with a snapshot of the embattled ex-governor attached.
The notice read, “The public is hereby notified that Yahaya Adoza Bello (former Governor of Kogi State), whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with alleged case of Money Laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo).
“Bello, 48-year old Ebira man, is a native of Okenne Local Government of Kogi State. His last known address is: 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission.”
