The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, reiterated yesterday the agency’s determination to hold the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, accountable for his tenure in office.
Addressing the media in Abuja, Olukoyede stated that Yahaya Bello was employing various tactics to avoid trial after allegedly engaging in financial mismanagement, including transferring Kogi State funds through Bureau D’change dealers. He cited an instance where Bello purportedly instructed his cousin to transfer $750,000 to a Bureau D’change for the advance payment of his child’s school fees abroad.
Olukoyede disclosed that the EFCC had planned to arrest Bello in January but awaited a warrant of arrest from the Federal High Court before proceeding. However, their attempt to effect the arrest last week was thwarted by a governor and 30 armed policemen. Despite having 50 armed operatives prepared for the operation, the EFCC chose caution to prevent any casualties.
He vowed to apprehend all those who aided Bello’s escape from arrest and bring them to justice.
Regarding the economy, Olukoyede revealed that the EFCC had frozen over 300 accounts linked to illicit forex trading, with one trader handling transactions worth N50 billion.
Responding to inquiries about the arrest of former Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika, Olukoyede neither confirmed nor denied the arrest but acknowledged the ongoing investigation into the operations of the aviation ministry and its officials under the previous administration. He clarified that the probe was not solely focused on Sirika but on the ministry’s activities in the national interest.
