Confusion As Yahaya Bello, EFCC In Arrest, Counter-arrest Warrant’s War After Abuja’s Show Down

Alhaji Yahaya Bello, former Kogi State Governor, has ran to a High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, to seek solace hours after operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, laid siege to his Abuja residence.

BIGPEN NIGERIA (https://bigpenngr.com) understands that the former governor on Wednesday evening obtained a court order restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from infringing on his fundamental human rights.

This is coming as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday morning, laid a siege to his house, located at Wuse Zone 4, Abuja less than one week after the embattled immediate-past governor met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The former governor had been at loggerheads with the EFCC over his multi-billion naira fraud case leveled against him by the anti-graft agency.

According to Daily Sun report EFCC had last week gotten the nod of President Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi to prosecute Bello.

Bello, alongside his nephew and other former government officials, allegedly siphoned over N80 billion while he held sway as governor.

Over 140 properties have also been linked to the embattled former governor, both in Nigeria and abroad.

Advertisement

But in a two hour judgment delivered on Wednesday, at the High Court 4 and presided over by Hon. Justice I.A Jamil, in suit no HCL/68/M/2020, the court restrained the EFCC from arresting, detaining and prosecuting the applicant except as authorised by the Court.

This is a definite order following the earlier interim injunction given.

The judgment followed the suit brought before the court by Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the applicant, seeking to enforce his fundamental rights against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Court equally restrained the respondents from continuing to persecute the Applicant

Earlier in the judgement, the Court dismissed the issue of jurisdiction as challenged by the EFCC.

The Applicant’s Counsel SA Abbas and MS Yusuf, described the judgment as landmark while the Defendant Counsel, T.U Odima and Patrick O. Jibril also aligned themselves to the judgment, describing it as thorough.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, in what appear as a counter order, a Federal High Court Sitting in Abuja has granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, warrant to arrest the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

Justice Emeka Nwite granted the warrant on Wednesday, April 17, at the instance of the EFCC.

According to the Judge, Bello’s arrest is preparatory to his arraignment on Thursday, April 18.