In a recent press release reported by Punch, Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ola Olukoyede voiced concerns about former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello's reluctance to cooperate with an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities during his tenure.
According to Olukoyede, Bello was asked to present himself at the EFCC office to clarify issues surrounding the case but declined, citing concerns over media exposure and proposing instead that EFCC investigators visit him in his village. "I called Yahaya Bello, as a serving governor, to come to my office to clear himself," Olukoyede said. "But he said because a certain senator had planted over 100 journalists in my office, he would not come." The EFCC chairman offered a discreet entrance through a private gate, which Bello also refused.
The chairman highlighted his efforts to handle the case impartially, noting that he had inherited the investigation rather than initiated it. He also referenced the cases of former governors Willie Obiano and Abdulfatah Ahmed, who have been arraigned and subsequently granted bail, emphasizing the fair and lawful treatment of all individuals involved.
Olukoyede's statements underline a broader effort by the EFCC to maintain accountability, regardless of an individual's political stature. "Why has he not submitted himself to the law?" Olukoyede questioned, implying that Bello's resistance might suggest guilt. The situation casts a spotlight on the challenges the EFCC faces in ensuring compliance and cooperation from high-profile figures in its anti-corruption crusade.