••• Warns against linking President Tinubu to the matter
Paschal Emeka, Abuja | Posted April 23, 2024
As security agencies continued a manhunt for the immediate past Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Adoza Bello, an Abuja lawyer of repute, Barr. Amobi Nzelu has condemned the continued refusal of former Governor of the confluence state to honour the invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
You may wish to recall that the anti graft agency has since declared the self acclaimed ‘white lion’ of Kogi politics wanted and security agencies have placed him on their list of wanted persons.
The legal practitioner in an interview in Abuja, insisted that such behavior makes Yahaya Bello irresponsible, even as he advised the former governor to immediately obey the law, emulate former Ekiti state Governor, Ayo Fayose, who honoured the EFCC invitation immediately after his tenure elapsed.
He also warned against linking Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the matter.
Before declaring him wanted, the anti graft agency sent several invitations to Bello, to come and clear himself from alleged financial crime to the tune of about N80 billion, leveled against him when he was in the saddle for eight years in Kogi state.
He said: “Yahaya Bello is behaving irresponsibly as a former number one citizen of Kogi state; his conduct is highly unfortunate.
“This country is not a Banana Republic. He cannot serve for eight good years without going to account for what he did for the period of eight years with public fund. He is a young man, but he is not doing well.”
He recall how Fayose was invited by EFCC and how he did not hesitate to go submit himself for probe.
“His continued refusal to obey the law is not proper. He should go and answer the call and he would either be given administrative bail, or he would look for someone to bail him there.
“The way he has been on the run, is making him look like a criminal, is not fair.
Nzelu however condemned the role Governor Usman Ododo has been playing in the whole arrest evasion saga.
“Ododo should stop that thing he is doing. He should not be using his convoy to carry Bello, because he put him there. We should move forward in this country.
“The EFCC has the right to arrest him. Nobody can stop them from doing their work. Getting a court injuction order from a Kogi State High Court is not accountability.
“If you don’t want to account for the way you used public fund, you go and pay with your personal money. But once it is public money, you must account for it.”
He continued: “Ododo isn’t doing well. He should tell Bello to go and answer the call.
“There is one law for this country. Unless they want me to believe that there are different laws for different people in this country. The former governor should go and respond. Look at the manpower deployed to arrest one man. Yahaya Bello should behave well.”
The Apo – Six lawyer therefore warned against linking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the case with the reason that Bello didn’t step down for Mr President, when all of them were aspiring for presidency, he said that Tinubu didn’t tell him to shun EFCC’s invitation.
He said that President Tinubu have no hand in the matter based on what transpired during their presidential aspirations
He clarified that Tinubu will not tell EFCC to do their lawful duties.
When asked if the officers and men of the EFCC were afraid of Bello contrary to what happened when Okorocha refused EFCC’s invitation, he said that they went to Bello’s house, without invading into it, due to the fact that a court order from the Kogi High Court stopped them from arresting and prosecuting the former governor.