Drama, Gunshots At Yahaya Bello’s House Amid Conflicting Court Orders
There was a mild drama and sporadic gunshots at the Abuja residence of the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello as the incumbent governor, Ahmed Ododo helped the former to escape the impending arrest by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).
However, the conflicting judgments of the Federal High Court in Abuja and that of the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja on Wednesday over the arrest of the immediate past Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello, had left citizens in confusion.
While the Kogi State High Court earlier on Wednesday gave a judgment restraining the EFCC from harassing, detaining or prosecuting Bello, a counter judgment of an Abuja High Court ordered his arrest for arraignment in court on Thursday.
Justice I. A Jamil of the State High Court IV gave the restraining order in a two-hour judgement delivered in suit no HCL/68/M/2020 in Lokoja at about noon Wednesday.
“By this order, the EFCC is hereby restrained from arresting, detaining and prosecuting the applicant,” he said.
Hours later, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the arrest of Bello for arraignment in court on Thursday despite of an existing restraining order and a court judgement against such a move.
The EFCC had appealed against the initial order, and the appeal was scheduled for hearing on April 22. (Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/175/2024: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission v. Alhaji Yahaya Bello).
Justice Emeka Nwite, who gave the order of arrest, said that by the Act establishing the EFCC, it had the power to arrest with or without a warrant of arrest, stating that the EFCC “had tried” to serve him with notice of arraignment.
The Yahaya Bello Media Office had in a statement signed by Onogwu Mohammed on Wednesday alerted of a siege on the former governor’s Abuja residence.
It was learnt that the anti-corruption agency arrived at the former governor’s house located on Benghazi Street in Wuse Zone 4, Federal Capital Territory at about 9.30 am to effect his arrest.
Bello has been having a running battle with the EFCC before finishing his tenure as governor in January over an alleged N10 billion corruption charge against his nephew, Ali Bello, and a co-defendant for money laundering at the Federal High Court in Abuja in 2022.
Days after he finished his tenure, the EFCC on 5 February, amended the charges, raising the number of counts from 10 to 17 against the younger Bello and his co-defendant, Dauda Suleiman, in a trial that dates back to 2022.
The prosecution named Mr Bello in one of the newly introduced counts as an accomplice. But the agency has yet to charge him as a defendant. In the new count, the anti-graft agency accused Bello of money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N84 billion.
After hours of being unable to secure their mission, the security operatives were reinforced with backup support from the police and Department of State Services (DSS).
It was learnt that the anti-graft agency’s operatives were planning to forcefully arrest him before the arrival of his stooge, Kogi Governor Ododo at the Abuja residence.
However, as he drove away, it was speculated that Bello was in the governor’s car, prompting the EFCC personnel who had been waiting for hours to open fire.