The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has reaffirmed that the prosecution of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, is actively before the courts, dismissing claims that the anti-graft agency is responsible for delays in the case.
Olukoyede, who had previously vowed to resign if Bello was not prosecuted, said he has fulfilled his mandate by ensuring that the former governor is investigated and charged accordingly.
Speaking on Sunday Politics aired on Channels Television And Monitored by The News Chronicle, the EFCC chairman responded to public concerns over the pace of the trial.
“Have I not made good that promise of commitment? Is Yahaya Bello not being prosecuted? The case is still in court,” Olukoyede said.
He explained that the EFCC has filed multiple cases against Bello and that the outcome now rests with the judiciary.
“I have three cases against Yahaya Bello. Am I the judge who would determine the conviction? I have done my work. I have fulfilled my mandate,” he added.
Olukoyede urged Nigerians to support the EFCC, stressing that the former governor has been thoroughly investigated and formally charged, with the cases progressing through the legal process.
Bello is currently facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged property fraud amounting to N110 billion, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu. He is also standing trial before the Federal High Court on a separate 19-count charge involving alleged N80.2 billion fraud and money laundering.
The EFCC had declared Bello wanted in April 2024 over alleged financial crimes totalling about N80 billion before his eventual arraignment.
Highlighting what he described as a troubling allegation, Olukoyede revealed that Bello allegedly transferred public funds shortly before leaving office.
According to him, the former governor allegedly moved $720,000 from the Kogi State Government’s account to a bureau de change as advance payment for his child’s school fees abroad.
“A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government to bureau de change, used it to pay the child’s school fee in advance, $720,000 in advance,” Olukoyede said.
He added that such actions could not be ignored, particularly in a state like Kogi, which faces significant economic challenges.
“In a poor state like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of ‘I’m being used’? Being used by who at this stage of my life?” he said.
