Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, has charged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is trying to damage his reputation.
Bello claimed in a statement released by his media team on Wednesday that the EFCC is frantically attempting to bring him down to appease some of the parties involved in the investigation.
Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, has charged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is trying to damage his reputation.
Bello claimed in a statement released by his media team on Wednesday that the EFCC is frantically attempting to bring him down to appease some of the parties involved in the investigation.
The declaration, which the Director of the The EFCC's prior mistakes and procedural inaccuracies, according to media team member Ohiare Michael, are sufficient proof of the anti-graft agency's desperation.
He claimed that the EFCC is carrying out a political vengeance against Bello rather than combating corruption, as evidenced by its current actions.
Michael explicitly questioned the EFCC's actions on Wednesday night after the former governor turned himself in freely and, despite the passage of four hours, neither a questioning nor a detention took place. Instead, EFCC agents attacked the Kogi Government Lodge during the night.
"If the EFCC was genuinely interested in prosecution and not a deal by some unknown persons to degrade the former governor and likely cause him harm for political reasons," the speaker stated.
Would the agency not have accepted him that day with the intention of arraigning him in court at the following postponed date?
How come an accusation of money laundering should be made public humiliating the entire nation, supposedly for the sake of boosting the self-esteem of those involved?
"We need the assistance of Nigerians to ask: What specifically is the EFCC requesting from former Governor Yahaya Bello?"
"The day in court for His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, will come. Nobody is arguing against this. However, it would follow the law rather than the EFCC's guidelines.
Michael urged the EFCC to focus on its primary duty of combating corruption and to stop smearing President Bola Tinubu's name in the dirt.
"What's intriguing is that the The more under pressure the Commission writes news releases, the more evident this claim gets.
But it is disheartening that a significant organization like the EFCC has now degenerated to the point where it is writing press releases in an unconventional manner in order to appease the gun lobby.
"The EFCC Chairman needs to be reminded that we are all part of the global village, even if he is working very hard to maintain his job by appeasing some purported donors, as some have suggested.
In order to restore some of its damaged reputation, the Commission should now conduct a self-evaluation. Instead of continuing to tarnish the reputation of our President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with actions that are wholly unrelated to the global battle against corruption," he continued.
Yahaya Bello is not scared to appear in court, according to the media office, but the EFCC must strictly abide by the law.
"We would like to stress once more that former Governor Yahaya Bello has behaved in a democratic manner by upholding the law and seeking legal protection from appropriate courts. His willingness to participate in the trials at several courts is evidence that he is not afraid of justice.
"Representation is permitted by law, and his attorneys have continuously represented him. He is entitled to pursue all legal options available to him as a Nigerian in order to defend his basic human rights. He or anybody else cannot be dictated to by the EFCC for that important, the best approach to take.
As of right now, it appears that the EFCC's only objective is to carry out a desperate hatchet job, ruining the former governor's character and slandering him without any basis in fact.
"However, until a competent court of jurisdiction finds former Governor Yahaya Bello guilty, he remains innocent of the false accusations brought against him," the EFCC has to educate itself on this matter.
As we write, a large number of knowledgeable Nigerians, both domestically and overseas, are still baffled as to why, four hours after the former governor voluntarily showed up to the EFCC headquarters, an anti-graft agency that had declared him wanted would urge him to go.
"The most unsettling element of the entire story is that representatives of the same EFCC that claimed that the former governor could not be questioned or held because, while accompanying the current governor, he went to the governor's official lodge and used force to arrest a man who had been in their office for more than four hours!
"The truth is slowly coming to light, despite the EFCC's best efforts to portray an albino as a white man in this instance among Nigerians.
"Former Governor Yahaya Bello is determined to fight for constitutionality until the very end and will not fall into the traps and baits of an agency that has demonstrated bias, disdain, and an obvious attempt on his life.
"We would like to confirm once more that former Governor Yahaya Bello is someone who upholds the law. All along, he had just asked for his basic human rights to be upheld, just like any other citizen.
However, the EFCC has shown blatant disregard for the rule of law in spite of the fact that it was established by law.
This is demonstrated by the agency's coercive, abusive, and despicable methods of disobeying lawful commands in situations involving alleged adversaries of their "sponsors or paymasters" and opting to follow instructions when they pertain to those who are well-liked by their godfathers.
The statement also demanded that President Tinubu look into the activities of Ola Olukoyede, the chairman of the EFCC, accusing him of using his position to pursue a personal conflict.
"In this specific instance, Ola Olukoyede, the chairman of the EFCC, has made it abundantly evident that he is either engaged in a personal conflict for reasons he needs to address right away or is making a great effort to maintain the confidence of some of former governor Yahaya Bello's adversaries, who may have given him a task that he needs to complete without fail.
"We are sympathetic to the Commission during this extremely difficult period of severely damaged public perception. Nigerians are becoming increasingly conscious that the purported war on corruption is not only selective but also has the potential to undermine our dynamic President's admirable goals regarding the crucial battle against corruption and, more crucially, the welfare of Nigerians as a whole.
"We implore the President to kindly order a comprehensive investigation." investigating the true intentions of the people pursuing the case, since its start, between the EFCC and former Governor Yahaya Bello.
The Commission has demonstrated blatant prejudice, intimidation, oppression, and complete contempt for the rule of law, as the timeline of events since April of this year will make evident.
"We emphasize once more that the EFCC had no business at the former governor's house in April during the original siege because he was the subject of a legitimate court order prohibiting such action, which had not been revoked. Nor can the Commission show that it sent him a formal invitation.
To correct the record, our principle showed up at the EFCC offices a few weeks ago after the Court of Appeal vacated that ruling. on September 18, despite his continued efforts to have his basic human rights upheld.
Would the EFCC not have hauled him in that day with the intention of charging him in court on the next postponed date if it had been genuinely interested in prosecuting the former governor and not in making an agreement with some unknown parties to degrade and perhaps hurt him for political purposes?
The EFCC shouldn't act as both the prosecutor and the investigator at the same time under normal circumstances. However, it is legal to do so. But the fact that the Commission is now acting as the judge is peculiar. They need to be reminded that this is Nigeria, and all Nigerians own this country.
"We beg the authorities to counsel the Chairman of the EFCC." must accept his role as an investigator and stop letting personal interests lead him to make mistakes that may be prevented.
"The more contentious press announcements the Commission makes against former governor Yahaya Bello, the more the world is forced to witness the desperation to fulfill an as-yet-undefined goal. However, the law unquestionably outclasses their power.
The statement went on, "We thank all Nigerians who have realized that there is more to this desperation by the EFCC to humiliate former Governor Yahaya Bello than they are telling the world, and we salute the Kogi State House of Assembly for speaking up."
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