A non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation – Journalists Against Corruption (JAC), has advised the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello, to keep his date in court and seize the opportunity of the court hearing on the matter on Wednesday, September 25, to appear physically before the court to clear his name on the allegations of N80.2bn naira made against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday and signed by JAC’s Programme Director, Kehinde Osifisan, the body said that ”with the claims and counterclaims of the EFCC and Yahaya Bello Media Team over the widely reported visit of the former governor to the EFCC premises last week, the court case coming up on Wednesday, presents the clearest opportunity for the former Governor to appear in court physically and put the matter to rest once and for all.
The group remarked that: “According to Bello’s media team, the former governor has surrendered himself to the EFCC by visiting the headquarters of the anti-corruption body but the EFCC refused to take-him-in. However, the EFCC, in its own account, reportedly claimed that Bello merely visited its premises in a way and manner that breached the organisation’s extant protocols as the former governor who had been declared wanted by the laws court with warrant of arrest issued, arrived the EFCC premises with the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Usman Ododo and his full retinue of convoy and security details.
While we have noticed with dismay and utter embarrassment since the hide and seek game of Yahaya Bello and the EFCC started, we are aware that Nigerians are tired of the ensuing melodrama that has indeed become international embarrassment to the country and a dent on its image.
“We view the allegation of attempted assassination of Yahaya Bello levelled against the EFCC by the Kogi State House of Assembly as reckless, unfounded and unbecoming of a legislative arm of a State Government. We know who the dictator of the tunes to the assembly is, as the legislators gave themselves away by asking for the sack of the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, who has kept to his vow of not backing down until Yahaya Bello is made to face the laws of the land.
“Yahaya Bello has personally, through his lawyers and media team, continued to express his belief in the rule of law. Now is the time to walk-the-talk on this case. Let Yahaya Bello keep his date in the court tomorrow.”
