‘Come Out If You Are Innocent’ – EFCC Threatens To Use Military To Arrest Yahaya Bello

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared that it would use the military to arrest the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, if he continued to ‘play games’.

Naija News reports that the arrest order for the former governor of Kogi state issued on Wednesday, April 17, has prompted the anti-graft agency to consider involving the military in its execution following a failed attempt to apprehend him at his Abuja residence yesterday.

The lawyer representing the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), issued this threat on Thursday, April 18, during a hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Pinheiro accused Usman Ododo, Bello’s successor, of obstructing EFCC’s attempts to carry out the order on Wednesday.

Pinheiro said: “What happened yesterday was that a person with immunity (Ododo) came to whisk him (Bello) away to abort his arrest.

“We know that he is being kept in his successor’s house. Immunity is not attached to a home but to a person.

“We can invite the military to invade the building where he is being kept to execute the order of this court. What is edifying for him is to come to court and not to continue to play games.”

“We want to come next week so that we can produce him. We know what to do. He cannot stand in the way of the Constitution.

“A former president of the United States was indicted, he is attending court. He did not play pranks by filing frivolous cases.

“If he believes he is innocent, he should come before the court and defend it here,” The Nation quoted Pinheiro saying.

Tinubu Govt Ask Yahaya Bello To Submit Himself To EFCC

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has publicly called on the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to cooperate with ongoing investigations and submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a probe into alleged corrupt practices during his tenure.

This appeal comes amidst heightened drama surrounding efforts to arrest Bello for arraignment, scheduled for Thursday.

Recent attempts by the EFCC to detain the former governor have been thwarted, leading to widespread public and media attention.

The AGF, in a statement he personally signed, expressed concern over the actions of the current Kogi Governor, Ahmed Ododo, who reportedly used his immunity to block Bello’s arrest on Wednesday.

Fagbemi labelled such interventions as “disquieting” and counterproductive to the principles of justice and transparency.

“The action of using one’s position to prevent the lawful arrest of an individual is not only disquieting but also a form of escapism that casts Nigeria in a negative light internationally,” Fagbemi stated.

He emphasized that the EFCC has the legal authority to invite any Nigerian for questioning and affirmed his commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of all citizens.