EFCC AND BELLO’S COMEDY OF THE ABSURD
Mohammed Ododo urges the immediate past Kogi Governor to step forward and give account of his stewardship
Literarily, absurdity is the portrayal of situations, events, or characters that are impossible, unreasonable, or ridiculous. That appears to be the best description of former Governor Yahaya Bello’s conduct and the hide-and-seek game he’s playing with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. But for how long can he run away from justice and the law?
With his nickname of a white lion, Yahaya Bello appears to be fighting like a lion with all his strength, courage, and craftiness, believing he could evade giving an account of his stewardship. He used the attributes of a lion to fight and cow opposition while in office but those were the days of state power and immunity, which have expired. Installing a successor governor appears to have given him a false sense of security, which can only be temporary. Power is transient. Immunity in office covers only the office holder and neither his associates nor benefactors.
The EFCC’s case against Yahaya Bello long predated his invitation to answer for his deeds after his tenure on the 27th of January 2024. The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, recently spoke of how courtesies were extended to him on how to be interrogated. But Bello chewed the fat with the EFCC boss and reneged on the gentlemen’s understanding only to blame it on the technicality of the non-production of a formal invitation letter. Naively, and in cahoots with Governor Usman Ododo, he thought he could escape from the law, ostensibly assured of some level of state government protection. There’s no way to put back the hand of the clock.
It was no secret that the EFCC would one day arrest Bello. The anti-corruption agency was all along aware of his cloak-and-dagger strategy to set himself free perpetually using legal gymnastics and other antics. His sins against the state had been well advertised. They were crystal clear to the average citizen of Kogi State, some of whom were not getting salaries as and when due. Promptly, on 5th February 2024, he was charged before the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, for conspiring with others, including a Kogi State Government House cashier, in September 2016, to convert the sum of N80 Billion. Rather than gather his documents in his defence, Bello embarked on a wild forum shopping, for a legal logjam to avoid being docked and tried in the court of justice.
As anticipated, a High Court in Kogi granted him reprieve and also purportedly restrained the EFCC from inviting, arresting, and prosecuting him, pending the determination of the Originating Motion for the enforcement of his fundamental rights. It has been suggested that those blanket orders were neither here nor there. How would a court grant an order to strip the EFCC of its statutory responsibility? This appears absurd. Isn’t it better to scrap the institution rather than tie its hand to stop it from carrying out its duties?
That’s fighting a losing battle. It is a lost cause to think of fighting an institution like the EFCC without first submitting to the time-tested legal procedure. Instead, he is contriving issues to bring down an institution and its hard-earned reputation. Hiring protesters and professional hackers to mould public opinion against a credible institution like the EFCC cannot alter the facts against an accused person in the law court. One day, all the shenanigans would end and the court would give a verdict of guilty or not. Declaring an accused person wanted should have been an added impetus and a moral ground for anyone with a conscience to surrender himself and proceed to plead his innocence in court.
In the United States of America, former President Donald Trump has been docked severally facing charges ranging from supporting insurrection, hush money, and other financial crimes. The American Supreme Court ruled him out of any kind of immunity from such trials. It appears Bello is more haunted and intimidated by the embarrassment he could suffer being docked and watched by his traducers and those bullied by him while in office. The Dino Melayes would wax a new song while Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan would watch his trials with amusement. Whatever the situation, Yahaya Bello can only run but cannot hide.
He didn’t need that drama to resist arrest on 17th April 2024. The alleged involvement of Governor Ododo of Kogi State in rescuing him was rather unfortunate. His convoy of vehicles was seen at Yahaya Bello’s residence in Abuja where the EFCC operatives had laid siege to effect his arrest. That was another absurdity and shows his inexperience in the workings of the government. The government is like the proverbial Iroko tree that doesn’t strike back its abuser the day it is abused but never forgets. Governor Ododo was overtly seen to be shielding a person wanted for a crime. From Yahaya Belo’s experience, he should have realized that immunity is tenure-based with a well-written expiry date at the inauguration.
The EFCC and the CBN should also beam their investigation on institutions like Yahaya Bello’s children’s schools and organisations, who flagrantly defy the laws of the land by charging dollars for services rendered in Nigeria. There have been several directives and CBN guidelines against such acts which have negatively affected the rate of the Naira. The American International School cannot claim not to be aware of these directives while flouting them with impunity. Many Nigerians have also queried: What manner of desperation will make a man pay his children’s school fees four years in advance? The school cannot be forgiven on many grounds including being an accomplice in crime, if proven in the court of law.
Feelers from the EFCC indicate that what has been published is the first set of charges against Yahaya Bello and constitutes just a mere drop in the bucket. Since he left office, more information about his activities in office is available to the EFCC. That should be expected as the white lion is reported to have stepped on several toes while in office. Rather than fighting like a bull in China’s shop, the white lion should end all absurdities like the drama associated with his escape from arrest, dusting up his papers for his defence in court.
Ododo writes from Lokoja
