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Tag: Yahaya Bello

  • In defence of Yahaya Bello

    In defence of Yahaya Bello

    Nigeria is a nation of many nationalities who although are at different levels of cultural development but none the less share so many parallels. Among her three dominant groups who always ensure no one else gets what any of them cannot get, mischief is a common trait. Speaking of his Yoruba people, the late Herbert Ogunde, a foremost Nigerian performing artist, describes them as a people who would invite a thief to come and steal and also invite the owner of the farm to catch him. (Yoruba pe ole ko wa ja, o tun pe oloko ko wa mu) With Igbira of Kogi, their distant cousins, it is worse. From the travails of Yaya Bello this past one week, we can see how easy it is for yesterday’s saint to become today’s Satan.  In just one week, Yahaya Bello, the white lion of Kogi, who secured the governorship seat on a platter of gold transited from   an angel to a haunted evil spirit.

    Yahaya Bello was a resourceful and successful business man with a lot of drive. In him the people of Kogi found no flaw. It was on account of all this, that Nigeria ruling hegemonic class that decides who rules and  who does not rule in Nigeria in collaboration with leading light of Kogi foisted him as a governor.

    It is on record that it was the joint ticket of Abubakar Audu and James Faleke that won the 2015 election. Audu however died mysteriously before he could be crowned, while James Faleke declared himself governor-elect. Many observers of Kogi politics had expected Faleke to step into Audu’s shoes, but Kogi kingmakers settled for Yahaya Bello, an outsider who was literarily dragged from his ‘kata kara”(buying and selling business) to the governor’s seat of power after the battle had been fought and won.

    As a governor, Yahaya Bello was true to himself. He did what he knew how to do best – trading.  This is why I think Bello does not owe detractors today accusing him of trading with Kogi State’s money instead of paying workers’ salaries or addressing infrastructural decay in Kogi State apologies. Those who had expected Bello to give what he did not have only lived in fool’s paradise. It is said that a man cannot suddenly become a left handed man at the middle age. If you ask me, I will say Yahaya Bello was a victim of those who had dressed him in borrowed robes to spite James Faleke, the rejected corner stone.

    Now, what are the charges against Yahaya Bello by EFCC and his other detractors?

    EFCC chief Ola Olukoyede, who vowed to prosecute Bello or resign, alleged that the embattled ex-governor withdrew $720,000 from the state’s accounts to pay his children school fees in advance just before he left office on January 27, 2024. But as it turned out, the sum of $845,852 said to have been paid to American International School, Abuja (AISA) between September 2021 and October 2022 as advanced school fees for Yahaya Bello’s five children was not paid by Yayaha Bello but by Alli Bello, his generous nephew.

    Intimidated by EFCC, the American International School, Abuja, was forced to pay the sum of $760,910 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as refund for an advanced school fees paid to the school. But upset by the development, Yahaya Bello’s generous nephew took American International School Abuja to court for breach of contract and he won. His victory was all Yahaya Bello’s supporters needed to support the claim their principal is being unfairly persecuted because he has a generous nephew.

    But Yahaya Bello’s traducers have done more to allow Yahaya Bello’s sympathisers consolidate their otherwise unassailable position. They have continued to slander him. They are even now claiming albeit without proof that Alli Bello, his generous nephew, was a son he fathered while in secondary school and raised by his sister. They tried to link Yaya Bello to the arraignment of Alli Bello on 18 count charges of money laundering and misappropriation of $3b by EFCC, claiming again without proof that it was Yahaya Bello who paid N550m to secure the release Alli Bello from EFCC’s incarceration. And as if Usman Dodo, the new sheriff in town did not have a mind of his own, they have also alleged, Yahaya Bello, influenced the emergence of Alli Bello as his chief of staff.

    But if one may ask, when has it become a crime for a generous nephew to pay the school fees for his uncle’s children or for an uncle to use his position to secure appointment for his generous nephew?

    Indeed, if you ask me, I will say Yahaya Bello who as a Muslim is entitled to four wives but chose to settle for only three with just five children for now, is a very modest man. We have witnessed lawmakers who came to the National Assembly floor to show off their four wives and twenty children. We have seen other politicians celebrated the graduation of their wards from foreign universities on the social media. I am not aware anyone has asked how much governors, lawmakers and other politicians who celebrated the graduation of their children from foreign universities on the pages of newspapers spent on their children.

    Other mischief makers have wondered why the close to $1m dollar Yahaya Bello’s nephew paid to AISA as school fees for  his uncle’s children was not deployed towards building a similar school for the children of the poor in Kogi State. Again, I am not aware of any governor including those who earn from the federation account in one month what Kogi state earns in a year that has built such a legacy school for the children of the poor in their states.

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    Perhaps mischief makers and Bello traducers needed to be reminded that our current military-baked new-breed politicians are different from the likes of Obafemi Awolowo, then premier of western Nigeria, whose daughter, Tokunbo Awolowo was seen on the queue along with the children of ordinary Nigerians including Hausa children from Sabon Gari quarters of Ibadan marching to their classes under Awolowo free and compulsory primary school in the 1950s.

    My advice to Yahaya Bello, however is to ignore his detractors, those taunting him on the pages of newspapers and those who weep louder than the bereaved including some People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain who linked his current political travails and that  of Nasir El-Rufai the former Governor of Kaduna State, to President Tinubu. He should  hearken to the immediate-past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom’s call, to come out of his hiding and answer the N80 billion money laundering case the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission filed against him.

    He will survive his current travails like many of his predecessors including Ayo Fayose, Alamieyeseigha who was chased from France to London where he had ‘accumulated properties, bank accounts, investments and cash exceeding £10m in value’, Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Jolly Nyame (Taraba), Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), the late Audu Abubakar (Kogi), Timipreye Sylva (Bayelsa), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Adebayo  Alao-Akala (Oyo), Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Aliyu Akwe Doma (Nasarawa), Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa).

    Just as the white lion of Kogi has vowed not to be intimidated by any amount of blackmail, one basic fact is that in an empire of maggots, (apologies to Nuru Ribadu) a part cannot claim to be holier than the whole.

  • Yahaya Bello: Ojú ló n kán ewúrẹ́ tó ń jẹ àlùbọ́sà…

    Yahaya Bello: Ojú ló n kán ewúrẹ́ tó ń jẹ àlùbọ́sà…

    By Sina Fadare

     Ni nnkan bii ọsẹ kan sẹyin ni gomina ana nipinlẹ Kogi, Ọgbẹni Yahaya Bello, sọ ara rẹ di ewe oju omi to n sa kiri nigba ti ajọ to n ri si iwa jẹgudu-jẹra ati ṣiṣe owo ilu ni  baṣubaṣu (EFCC), sọ pe o  to ọgọrin biliọnu Naira to poora nigba to fi wa nijọba ati pe awọn n wa gomina atijọ yii ko ba a le kawọ-pọnyin rojọ bo ṣe ṣe owo ilu ni baṣubaṣu nigba to wa nipo agbara nipinlẹ Kogi.

    Dipo ki Ọgbẹni Bello lo anfaani yii lati ra iyi fun ara rẹ, ko si yọju si ajọ yii ni olu-ileeṣẹ wọn to wa ni Abuja, ṣe ni o n sa kiri bii oku ti ko fọmọ silẹ saye lọ. Ajọ yii tilẹ fun Bello ni anfaani  nigba ti ọga ajọ naa, Ọgbẹni Ọla Olukoyede, pe ago gomina tẹlẹ yii lati sọ fun un pe awọn ọmọ ohun ṣetan lati waa ba a ni ọọfiisi rẹ ni Lọkọja nigba to si wa nipo gomina fun ifọrọwanilẹnu wo yii, ṣugbọn Bello sọ anfaani yii nu nitori ko faaye rẹ silẹ. Ṣe ori ti yoo ba pebi sun, to ba gbe ounjẹ pamọ si ori aja, eku yoo yi i danu.

    Ọrọ Bello ko le ya eeyan lẹnu rara, o da bii ẹni pe o ti fẹẹ di aṣa laarin awọn oloṣelu lati maa sa tabi dibọn nigba ti ọwọ ofin ba fẹẹ tẹ wọn tabi ni akoko ti wọn ba pe wọn fun ifọrọwanilẹnu wo. Nigba kan ana, iyekan Bello, Sẹnetọ Dino Melaye, lasiko ti ọwọ palaba rẹ fẹẹ segi, ṣe lo fo jade ninu ọkọ ti awọn ọlọpaa fi n gbe e lọ lati le jẹ ki awọn araalu le ba a daro ki wọn le ro pe ṣe ni wọn n fiya jẹ ẹ lai nidii. Nigba kan ana, Sẹnetọ Buruji Kashamu fi odidi ọjọ marun-un  sa  pamọ sinu ile igbọnsẹ nigba ti awọn ajọ to n ri si gbigbe ati lilo oogun oloro (NDLEA), n wa a kiri.

    Ohun to jẹ iyalẹnu  nipa ti Bello ni pe nigba ti awọn ajọ EFCC ti gba aṣẹ lati ile-ẹjọ lati lọọ gbe e ni yajoyajo nibikibi to ba wa, gomina ipinlẹ Kogi bayii, Ọgbẹni Usman Ododo ti Yahaya Bello fi sipo lo gbogbo ọgbọn alumọkọrọyi lati ṣiji bo ọga rẹ atijọ ki ọwọ awọn EFCC ma tẹ ẹ.

    Gẹgẹbi iroyin ṣe fi lede, ṣe ni Ododo fi ẹyin pọn ọga rẹ jade nile ijọba ki ọwọ awọn EFCC ma ba a tẹ ẹ, igbesẹ ti ọpọlọpọ awọn lameetọ ilu fajuro si pe o ku diẹ-ka-a-to fun gomina yii, nitori oun funra rẹ ti ṣẹ sofin.

    Ibeere ti awọn lameetọ ilu n beere ni pe ti Bello ko ba ṣe ohun ikọkọ, ki lode ti o fi n kiyesi iyara? Ni gbogbo igba to wa nile ijọba ti ofin imuniti wa fun un gẹgẹbi gomina ati pe gbogbo ohun to ba ṣe nigba naa jẹ aṣegbe, ṣugbọn igba laṣọ, igba lẹwu, igba lodere koko niluu llọrin, saa la ni, Ọba Yarabi lo nigba.

    Ohun to daju ni pe Bello ni ọpọlọpọ aṣiiri ti ẹru n ba a pe ti oun ba yọju si ajọ yii, wọn le fọgba yanga eyi ti yoo ko ẹrẹ ba oun gẹgẹbi gomina atijọ ni Kogi.  Gẹgẹbi  alaye ti Olukoyede ṣe, o ni nigba ti o ku rebete ki Bello kuro nile ijọba,  ṣe lo lo asunwọn ijọba Kogi lati palẹ owo to to ọgọrin miliọnu eyi to ni ohun fi sanwo ileewe awọn ọmọ rẹ, eyi ti oun ko le dakẹ tabi ki oun de fila ma-wo-bẹ si nitori owo ijọba to jade lọna ifura ni.

    Ṣebi atupa Yahaya Bello to fi ọsan tan  ni ko  jẹ ki aye foju rere wo o, iba jẹ pe o ṣe ohun to tọ pẹlu apo iṣuna ipinlẹ Kogi ni akoko to ni anfaani rẹ, ṣe ni wọn ko ba  maa gbe e jo bii ọmọ tuntun bayii nigba ti o fi ipo silẹ, ṣugbọn dipo eleyii, o fẹrẹ ma si ohun kan gboogi ti a le tọka si ti gomina yii ṣe nigba to wa nijọba ti a le pe ni manigbagbe.

    Ohun to tun jẹ kayeefi ni oriṣiiriṣii awọn ayederu ajafẹtọọ-ọmọniyan ti o fọn sita lati ma a tabuku ajọ EFCC pe ohun ti wọn ṣe ku diẹ kaato. Ọkan ninu wọn ni ti awọn amofin ti wọn ko  kaadi ifẹhonu lọwọ niluu Abuja pe ohun ti awọn ajọ EFCC ṣe ko muna doko.

    Awọn ọpọ eeyan wọnyi, eyi ti Ọgbẹni Sylvanus Alewu ṣe aṣoju wọn lo sọ pe o ti di lemọlemọ ajọ EFCC lati maa dun koko mọ awọn araalu, ni pataki julọ awọn oloṣelu ati pe ile-ẹjọ ti sọ pe eera kankan ko gbọdọ rin Bello. Awọn eeyan yii tẹ siwaju pe o ku diẹ ka-a-to fun ajọ EFCC lati lọọ dogo sile Bello lati gbe e ni ọbara lọ si agọ wọn nitori pe wọn fẹẹ fọrọ wa a lẹnu wo.

    Lọgan ni ajọ awọn agbẹjọro ti wọn n pe ni NBA ti ke gbajare pe awọn to ko ara wọn jọ yii ki i ṣe ọmọ ẹgbẹ awọn ati pe ohun kohun ti wọn ba sọ, wọn sọ ọ laaye ara wọn ni nitori ẹnikẹni lo le bọ soju titi lati gbe iru  igbesẹ yii.

    O daju ṣaka pe gbogbo  ọna ni Bello n gba lati tabuku ajọ EFCC, bo tilẹ jẹ pe wọn fun un ni anfaani gẹgẹbi gomina atijọ, eleyii ti ko bọwọ fun. Ti Olukoyede to jẹ ọga awọn ajọ yii ba le pe e lori ẹrọ foonu alagbeka ti awọn mejeeji si sọrọ nipa ere idi rẹ ti wọn fi fẹẹ ri i nileeṣẹ wọn, o yẹ ki Bello ti mọ pe oun tasẹ agẹrẹ lai yọju gẹgẹ bii ọmọluabi.

    Read Also: EFCC Vs Yahaya Bello: Youths call for due process, condemn media trial

    Yatọ si eleyii, igba wo ni Bello fẹẹ sa da lori ọrọ to wa nilẹ yii? Eeyan pe ọ, lai simi, o sọ pe o n gbọ agbọya, ti ko ba dakẹ pipe, o di dandan ki ariwo pọ. Ṣe Yoruba bọ wọn ni orin ti eeyan kọ ti ko duro jẹṣu loko, to dodo ti ko duro wẹ, to waa dele tan to ni ẹ o gberin tabi ẹ ko ni i gberin ni, ta ni ko mọ pe orin to maa dalu ru niyẹn.

    Gbogbo ọna ẹburu ti Bello n gba yii lati le sọ ajọ EFCC lẹnu ko le ran an lọwọ bi ko ṣe ko yọju si wọn ki wọn si gbe e lọ sile-ẹjọ to laṣẹ lati yọọrọ awọn ẹsun ti wọn fi kan an ki  wọn si dajọ fun un, to ba ti yatọ si eleyii, o din ọjọ kan lonii ti ọwọ ofin yoo tẹ gomina atijọ nipinlẹ Kogi yii

    Ṣe nigba miiran, ibi ti a ba ro pe a maa ba ọgbọn, ṣugbọn ti a ba ba agọ nibẹ a maa dun ni. Ṣebi ori ado Yahaya Bello lo ba a ṣe e, akeregbe baba rẹ, ẹmu ni wọn fi n bu mu. Ti aṣọ ba si ya jagba jagba, jugbu jugbu la a ran an ka le rode gidi fi lọ, o di dandan ki ajọ EFCC gbe igbesẹ ti wọn gbe yii lati fi ye Bello pe ọdẹ ki i wọ igbẹ ki ọmọ ẹranko ma sọnu ati pe irun imu ko ni oun ko ni i di ati jẹun lọwọ, ẹlẹnu ni ko ni i gba fun un.

  • Pro-EFCC, pro-Yahaya Bello protesters at agency Hqtrs

    Pro-EFCC, pro-Yahaya Bello protesters at agency Hqtrs

    The ongoing probe of alleged N80.2billion fraud in Kogi State took a new dimension yesterday following protest marches by those backing  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) and the supporters of the former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

    While the Kogi Conscience Movement was for the EFCC, Kogi  Youth Coalition formed a wall around the entrance to the commission in solidarity for Bello.

    The two groups marched on the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja at different times with placards  for and against.

    While a director received the pro-EFCC supporters, those for Bello were dispersed following alleged  “unruly behavior.”

    Pro-Bello protesters however alleged that they were attacked and live bullets fired at them.

    But the EFCC said its operatives were civil in dispersing those  who protested in favour of Bello.

    The Kogi Youth Coalition claimed that 10 pro-Yahaya Bello protesters were arrested and injured.

    Taking the first slot yesterday was  pro-EFCC protesters under the guise of  the Kogi Conscience Movement, who were led by the leaders of the association, including  Peters Onuma(National Coordinator), Okpanachi Jacob Nadeco(Secretary); Desmond Obaro and Austin Okai .

    The group, which wielded placards to deride the former governor of the state, asked the EFCC to arrest Bello.

    Usman, one of the leaders, said they were in support of the investigation and the trial of Bello.

    He asked the EFCC Chairman not to stop at getting Bello arrested.

    He said: “Nigerians are with you, ordinary citizen of this country are with you. We are here to encourage, we are here to motivate you. Nobody gave us money. We don’t know the EFCC chairman. We are not being hired. You can see, we are not plenty  because we have no money to give.

    “We are in the forefront of this agitation and so many of us have gone to prison. Many of us have lost their lives. Some are still facing series of persecution. The time for justice is now. Thanks and God bless.”

    Okai, who alleged that Bello has been in the Government House(Lugard House), Lokoja, asked the EFCC to break into the convoy of Governor Usman Ododo to arrest Bello.

    He added: “We learnt the former governor is in Lugard House and he moves when Governor Usman Ododo moves. But we are saying that the  governor’s convoy is not immune, it is the person that is occupying the office that is immune. Under the administration of former President Goodluck  Jonathan, ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s convoy was stopped. It was Amaechi that had immunity, not the convoy.

    “No one can obstruct the course of justice. We also want the EFCC to invite all  local government past and present local government chairmen in the state.”

    The movement submitted a letter of solidarity to the commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren,  for onward transmission to the EFCC chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede

    Uwujaren assured that  Bello’s case will not be swept under the carpet.

    He said EFCC will not rest until the ex-governor is arraigned

    He said: “I want to thank you for coming to identify with  the work of the EFCC. I am, for instance,  personally happy that I can see the citizens of Kogi State that are concerned about the misuse of their  state resources.

    “I want to assure you that I have the permission of the EFCC chairman that this matter will not be swept under the carpet.

    The issue we have with Yahaya Bello is not a personal matter The EFCC is just out to enforce the law. We have  charges that are pending before the High Court in Abuja, all we  want Yahaya Bello to do is to  answer those charges. We are not concerned about renting crowd or getting people to speak in our favour. No

    All we want is for him, wherever he is hiding, let him come out and attend to the charges that have been filed against him. It is not a personal issue.

    “The commission has had cause to arraign several  ex-governors and some  of them are  walking free now because they have been properly arraigned and granted bail. That is what we want Yahaya Bello to do because there is nobody  in Nigeria that is above the law.

    “Yahaya Bello, as a former governor does not have immunity against prosecution and he knows that. So, wherever he is hiding, the message I have for him this morning, is to simply come out and  be properly arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction and then answer to the allegations we have preferred against him.

    “All other shenanigan that we are seeing is just a distraction as far as EFCC is concerned. We will not rest until he is arraigned in court. “

    But barely few minutes after, many Kogi youths were at the headquarters of the EFCC to protest the “alleged political persecution of the immediate past Governor of the state.

    The Kogi Youth Coalition members said they were allegedly attacked by operatives of the commission

    They queried why the rally in support of the EFCC, fuelled by the opposition in the state,  was allowed to go peacefully and theirs was repelled.

    Read Also: It’s political risky to alienate El-rufai, Yahaya Bello, PDP chieftain Showunmi tells Tinubu

    They demanded that  the Rule of Law be respected.

    They, however, vowed to resist the “glaring intimidation”.

    They called on President Bola Tinubu to call EFCC to order.

    They said the former governor was backed by the law in all his actions.

    They said Bello was not the first person to obtain a restraining order in Nigeria against undue harassment and persecution.

    The Head of the Kogi Youth Coalition, Otitoleke Richard, said, “We’re here at the headquarters of EFCC in Abuja, to address a topical national issue that has to do with the rule of law, the defence of democratic governance in Nigeria.

    “We have been intimidated, we have been harassed. The EFCC is saying we do not have the right to express our opinion on national issues. We have been shot at; they have used their stick to beat ordinary Nigerians that are harmless.

    “We shall continue to air our opinion for democracy to thrive in Nigeria. Nigeria is not a banana republic. We’re saying the Rule of Law must be applied to all corruption files. You cannot fight corruption with lawlessness.

  • On the trail of a fugitive

    On the trail of a fugitive

    The hegemonists must be ruing the day they dragooned Yahaya Bello, an obscure former chief accountant at a ho-hum federal parastatal, into the Kogi State gubernatorial race.
    The race had been determined more or less. The APC candidate, Abubakar Audu, a former governor of the state, and his running mate, Abiodun Faleke, won. In an uncanny turn of fate, Audu slumped and died before he and Faleke could be declared the official winners.
    In the perception of the public, no knotty legal or political issue was thrown up by Audu’ssudden death. It did not invalidate the fact on the ground: The Audu-Faleke ticket won the election. So, recognize Faleke as governor-elect, and leave it to the APC to produce a deputy governor-elect according to its own rules and usages
    This, at any rate, was what commonsense dictated. But in Nigerian politics, commonsense has no place.
    The APC’s national chairman, John Oyegun, allowed himself to be inveigled into referring the matter for resolution to Abuja, where an arch-hegemon was firmly in the saddle. It would be hard to find a more preposterous legal interpretation than what came out of the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

    Read Also: It’s political risky to alienate El-rufai, Yahaya Bello, PDP chieftain Showunmi tells Tinubu


    Discountenance the election entirely. Stage a fresh gubernatorial primary and a re-run. Faleke declined to partake in the travesty, from which Yahaya Bello, who had been clobbered in the primary that had produced Audu, was declared winner.
    A reptile judiciary steeped in obfuscation and perjury would endorse the sophistic claim that the Audu-Faleke ticket belonged to the APC. If this is true, why stage costly, elaborate primaries to winnow the field of aspirants? Why not put forward the contending parties themselves as candidates, and leave it to them to designate whomever they please as the candidate for the position at issue?
    All that fudging was in aid of an objective dear to the heart of the hegemonists: Kogi, being a “Northern” state, must remain in the North’s orbit by all means. Allowing it to be governed by a Christian and a person who cannot pass the “northern” test, would pluck it from that orbit and eviscerate the North’s agenda.
    From that epic sleep of reason and judicial legerdemain was born and bred a monster that today haunts not only Kogi but Nigeria’s body politic.
    Nobody who has followed Yahaya Bello’s brutal and capricious tenure in Kogi will be surprised at the corruption that has lately been documented about his time in office, and which I had remarked in four previous columns for this newspaper.
    His tenure is a study in gangsterism. Who else but a gangster would at every turn employ the pa pa pa rhythm of automatic gunfire to dare anyone to transgress his gubernatorial will?
    That was Yahaya’s standard practice whenever he deigned to address the people directly – the very people he took a solemn oath to serve.
    Yahaya Bello’s contemporaries are learning to cope with life after office and life out of power. But he is basking in what has eluded every elected president or governor in Nigeria since the return to party politics in all its confections: A third term.
    He bequeathed to his handpicked successor, Usman Ododo, his entire cabinet and personal staff and has for good measure remained holed up in the official residence. It is a measure of Bello’s continuing grip on power and of Ododo’s fealty that Ododo has solemnly declared that wherever and whenever his command conflicts with Bello’s preference, Heaven forfend, Bello’s will automatically supervene.
    Until Ododo was thrust into office in an election that will not stand the most cursory examination, Ododo was chief accountant in the bankrupt Kogi Local Government Service, where employees were paid, not their statutory salaries, but whatever Yayaha Bello deigned to dole out to them, a practice Bello instituted shortly after he took office eight years ago.
    Not knowing what they stood to receive at the end of each month, public servants were at the mercy of Yahaya Bello’s caprice. Even at its most generous – I employ that term advisedly – it was never more than 60 percent of their statutory entitlement. Employees’ unions that were not conscripted to sing Yahaya Bello’s praise learned not to stir things up.
    Fear of the little Napoleon was the constant companion of public servants in Kogi, from the highest rung of the judiciary and the administrative class down to the lowliest functionary.
    It was the same hegemonists who led Yahaya Bello to believe that the Presidency was his for the bidding. The office had been “zoned” to the North Central, and no one among the sitting northern governors favoured for the position was better qualified than he. It was not for nothing, they assured him, that he was President Muhammadu Buhari’s favourite governor.
    Having no superior qualifications nor achievements to flaunt, Yahaya Bello parlayed his age — a youthful 47 years – into a unique selling point. He then placed the Kogi exchequer at the service of his quixotic quest to become President of Nigeria.
    The Kogi State capital, Lokoja, became a Mecca for obtainers. One week, Bayelsa Youths for Yahaya Bello would bob up at a well-publicised ceremony to endorse Bello for president, based on his youthful vigour and unparalleled achievement in transforming Kogi from a backwater into the Dubai of Africa and destination of foreign investors flocking to the state with their footloose in numbers that could not be contained.
    The following week, officials claiming to represent teachers would embark on a pilgrimage to Lokoja to proclaim him the best candidate for president, given the mouth-watering pay and conditions he instituted for them. It made no difference that when Kogi teachers were paid at all, they were paid only a fraction of their entitlements.
    Hard on their heels would follow officials claiming to represent journalists, there to pay homage to Yahaya Bello for making media practice a soul-uplifting delight, shorn of the arbitrariness that constrained it elsewhere, and for making Kogi a land where the rule of law reigned supreme.
    The week after, Zungeru Youths would surface in Lokoja to proclaim their solidarity and unflinching support for a Yahaya Bello presidency. The following week, Kaura Namoda Youths would storm Lokoja to declare their support for Bello, the only presidential aspirant capable of lifting Nigeria from the doldrums into a global power with immediate effect.
    In subsequent weeks, Sambisa Youths, Okirika Youths, and Agbanikaka Youths, to mention only a few of those proclaiming support for a Yahaya Bello presidency, would converge on Lokoja to press their advocacy.
    Youths for Yahaya Bello from Kogi were missing in the parade.
    To supplement these carnivals. Yahaya Bello sponsored all manner of conferences,organized by entities of dubious provenance.
    They came, they obtained, and they went back laden with bounteous rewards. And they deluded Yahaya into believing that he was the Great Khalifa Nigeria was waiting for.
    In the presidential primaries, he was handed a shellacking that would have sobered the most obstinate creature. Not Yahaya Bello. Instead of elbowing him out as a bad advertisement for its cause, the APC humoured him by designating him its emissary to Nigerian youth and pressed his successor Ododo into service to supervise the party primaries for the gubernatorial race in neighboring Ondo State.
    Ododo’s attempt to import into Ondo the tactics that his principal Yahaya Bello had employed to win every election in which he figured in one guise or disguise collapsed spectacularly, just when the EFCC was closing in on Bello.
    Yahaya wangled an injunction from the compromised state judiciary restraining the EFCC and the police from summoning him for interrogation or arresting him, as well as his appointees. Just as he had dismissed as enemy agents visiting officials from the Federal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and expelled them from Kogi, he denounced the EFCC as a cesspool of corruption out to besmirch the rectitude that pervaded official transactions in Kogi and sought to restrain its officials with a bogus injunction from a kept judiciary.
    Posing as a champion of states’ rights, he dismissed the agencies as interlopers barred from operating outside federal territory.
    Every bully is at heart a coward. Yahaya Bello, the arch-bully, is at this writing in hiding,a fugitive from the law.
    The EFCC chair, Ola Olukoyede, is to be commended for his determined pursuit of the former governor. His iron resolve to bring the fugitive to justice is admirable. But zeal is no substitute for due process, which presumes every individual innocent until proven guilty. He should allow the process to work itself out, using every lawful means in his remit.

    –

  • Ortom to Yahaya Bello: answer EFCC

    Ortom to Yahaya Bello: answer EFCC

    Immediate past Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has advised his former colleague in Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to come out of hiding and attend to his case with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

    Ortom spoke yesterday at the Redeemed Church of God (RCCG) in Makurdi, the state capital, during the thanksgiving service organised by his aides on his 63rd birthday.

    He said: “Yahaya Bello’s continuous hiding will bring disgrace to former governors across the country.”

    The former Benue governor, who had urged his erstwhile aides to always come forward and give account of their stewardship when called upon to do so, said only those who have something to hide run when called upon to account for their stewardship.

    Read Also: Follow AGF’s advice, submit to EFCC, media group counsels Yahaya Bello

    He said: “I want to use this opportunity to advise my younger brother and friend, ex-Governor Yahaya Bello, not to disgrace former governors.

    “You don’t need to hide; you don’t need to resist arrest or anything. Go there and respond. (The people at) EFCC are human beings. If they are making enquiries, the laws are there.

    “I have tried to get him on phone, but I could not. I have tried those around him, but I could not. So, I want that to be noted. Wherever he is, if he can hear me, thank God the press is here, he should come out.”

  • Yahaya Bello cuts tragic, pathetic figure

    Yahaya Bello cuts tragic, pathetic figure

    Like everything else about the former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, life is nothing more than drama, childish drama. Unreflective and artificial, Mr Bello has managed out of office to enact a long-running saga in which he and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) star. The anti-graft agency is the hunter, and he the hunted. Had he given himself up immediately the EFCC summoned him, he would have retained whatever little dignity nature grudgingly gave him at birth, and after a few appearances in court, he would be out on bail, free to pontificate on a narrow range of simple subjects his grandiosity would permit. But Mr Bello has a knack for complicating the simplest of matters. Undeservingly gifted the governorship of Kogi State after an election he largely did not participate in, and inheriting a mantle he did his worst to fight and undermine, which fell off the pompous shoulders of the late Abubakar Audu, he proceeded to govern the state for eight years a heartless dictator. As an aside, it is fitting that those who conspired to impose him on Kogi, south-westerners and northerners alike, though they feigned to be democrats, are meeting even crueler fates.

    The EFCC had been on to Mr Bello while he was still governor. His alleged financial malfeasance had become so brazen as to come, in unsightly details, under the anti-graft agency radar. He is alleged to have embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars and tens of billions of naira, perhaps over N80bn, in addition to buying up everything, including houses within and outside Nigeria, that caught his fancy. And though the agency has not yet made it public, he is also alleged to have financially induced and corrupted a large number of public and private officials, including judges, actors and actresses, presidency officials in the last dispensation, and a host of other eager dupes, great and small, willing to be bought and happy to sell their dignity. To service this wide-ranging act of public hideousness, Mr Bello allegedly locked his snout on the state’s treasury and callously sucked the sinews out of the poor state, leaving mendicant workers pushed tragically to the edge of suicide and insanity. He brutalised everyone that crossed his path, discriminated against parts of the state which questioned his buffoonery, and certain that he had bought all the support he would ever need in and out of office, frittered away his little goodwill and lent his profligate youth to the services of the basest form of governance. But he miscalculated.

    His hunters cornered him in Abuja on April 17, but his poodles helped him lift the siege and have kept him incommunicado at the State House in Lokoja. They can’t keep him for long, and they can’t ferry him out of Nigeria. Some commentators suggest that the EFCC chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, had become too voluble on this and a few other cases. They would like him to speak less, and to assume the character of someone of dignified restraint. Perhaps that would serve him better. But so far, notwithstanding his superfluous threat to resign if he could not bring Mr Bello to trial, and despite exuding needless emotion when he addressed the media last week on the matter, Mr Olukoyede has not done anything unlawful in his pursuit of the former Kogi governor. Mr Bello is on the run and will do anything and take any measure to continue to shield himself from prosecution. In short, he dares the state, represented by the EFCC, and affronts every civilised value, which he clearly treats with his accustomed contempt. But next to being on death row, being declared a fugitive is both deeply demeaning and truly harrowing. Mr Bello can only become more frantic as his legal options shrink or recede.

    Kogi indigenes are exultant that even before his trial Mr Bello is getting his just desserts. They had been at the receiving end of his cruelty for eight years, the first four-year term the outcome of a bastardised electoral process, and the second term stolen through brutal electoral thievery. Workers were not paid full salaries, pensions came in fits and starts, and gratuities became a luxury. Dissent was viciously put down, and everyone who opposed him, including some harried judges, spoke and probably thought in whispers. Under Mr Bello, the state routinely mocked the constitution while Abuja only managed to look askance as their best form of disapproval. He flattered party bigwigs and grovelled before the past federal administration, and turned his full wrath at the state judiciary and civil service. The same man that enacted those horrendous and oppressive actions against a state he was unworthy to govern has suddenly turned yellow and is fleeing the law.

    Read Also: Follow AGF’s advice, submit to EFCC, media group counsels Yahaya Bello

    Kogites have no sympathy for Mr Bello. They encourage the EFCC to be relentless in pursuing him to the farthest corners of the state, dragging him, if possible, humiliated before the courts. They encourage the anti-graft agency to ignore the feeble and comical protests of civil society groups whose origins are shrouded in mystery and who lack any regard for truth and common decency. In any case, the EFCC needs little encouragement; having been made a fool of once, docking the former governor has become their obsession. Mr Bello is of course trying to fight back using Kogi courts, the same courts he denigrated and subjugated. But his efforts will end disastrously, hopefully before he infects the entire system with his unseemly ways. If the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council will not rein in their errant judges messing up the judiciary on a straightforward case, perhaps the Bola Tinubu administration will give Governor Usman Ododo’s unconstitutional postulations short shrift and get him to give up the fugitive. The situation will not resolve itself, and doing nothing is not an option.

  • Yahaya Bello not a good youth representative, says Effiong

    Yahaya Bello not a good youth representative, says Effiong

    The Managing Director of UpdateAfrika Communications, Dr. Joseph Effiong, has expressed disappointment in former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello over alleged involvement in financial fraud amounting to over N80 billion .

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that Bello moved the amount from the State’s coffer with some used to pay the school fees of five children for 14 years in advance.

    Bello was declared wanted by the anti -graft body over the matter after the former Governor failed to honour and invitation for investigation.

    Effiong,a youth ambassador, expressed concern on the implications of Bello’s disregard for EFCC’s invite and the impression such may have on youths.

    “Nothing stops the former Governor from honouring EFCC’s invite if his hands were clean , with or without a court injunction restraining his arrest,” he asserted.

    Read Also: Why we refunded Yahaya Bello’s $760,000 to EFCC – American school

    Effiong submitted the recent confirmation by The American International School, Abuja on receipt of the sum of $845,852 from the embattled Governor as well as EFCC’s announcement of refund by the school earlier today suggests that Bello has a case to answer.

    He worried Bello’s involvement in such a deal was a major set back for the clamour by youths to be actively involved in mainstream politics, adding that he may have set another bad record for youths.

    “Laundering of ₦85 billion in a State considered as one of the poorest is a serious offence that undermines the trust and faith placed in public officials.

    “The youths of our country deserve leaders who lead by example, Bello’s connection to this matter and his reaction following EFCC’S invitation demonstrates a complete betrayal of youth trust,”he lamented.

    He faulted some Nigerians defending the former Governor, referencing some groups and members of Bello’s immediate community castigating the EFCC for doing its job.

  • Why we refunded Yahaya Bello’s $760,000 to EFCC – American school

    Why we refunded Yahaya Bello’s $760,000 to EFCC – American school

    The American International School in Abuja (AISA) yesterday confirmed its refund of $760,000 school fees paid in advance by the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, in respect of five of his children.

    Head of the school, Greg Hughes, said in a statement in Abuja that the refund “underscores our commitment to upholding institutional integrity and our respect for the national institutions of Nigeria.”

    He said: “Contrary to some media reports suggesting that the institution was still in the process of turning over the funds, the school clarified that it had actually done so, as recently confirmed by the EFCC Chairman.

    “Upon learning that the school fees we accepted in good faith were, in fact, part of an ongoing case with the EFCC, we turned over these funds in compliance with this federal commission’s request.”

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    He said the school authorities “will refrain from making any further comments” on the issue for now.

    The Nation had reported yesterday that the school had indeed refunded $760,910.84 to the EFCC from the $845,852 school fees allegedly deposited  by Bello as fees for his children.

    The fees were to cover a period of 14 years (2021–2035), according to documents filed in court by the EFCC to support its case against the ex-governor.

    Sources said the refund was made in two tranches of $720,000 and $40,910.

    Bello’s Media Office dismissed the allegations as blackmail and said the fees were not proceeds of corruption as claimed by the EFCC.

    The anti-graft agency is currently prosecuting the former governor for defrauding the state to the tune of N80.2 billion.

  • Why we turned over fees of Yahaya Bello’s children, by American International School

    Why we turned over fees of Yahaya Bello’s children, by American International School

    The American International School Abuja has explained why it turned over the advance tuition allegedly paid by former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello for five of his children to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). 

    Though the school didn’t mention Yahaya Bello in its explanation, the statement confirms The Nation’s exclusive report that the institution refunded $760,910.84 to from the $845,852 fees allegedly deposited by Bello. 

    The EFCC had alleged the fund was part of the N80.2b of Kogi money converted to personal use by the ex-Governor. 

    The $845,852 was allegedly paid to the school by Bello in August 2021 to cover the education of four of his children in the school and another one “to be enrolled in August 2022 if application successful (sic) and there is space available.”

    The fees were to cover a period of 14 years (2021–2035) according to documents filed in court by the EFCC to support its case against the ex-Governor.

    The four children were identified as: Farid Bello Grade 8; Zahra Bello Grade 6;Na’Ima Bello Grade 4 andNana-Fatima Bello Grade 2. The fifth for enrolment in August 2022 if application successful and there is space available is Zayyan Ali Bello Pre-School.

    The Head of the American International School Abuja, Greg Hughes explained the school turned over the fund paid as school fees “by a family with children enrolled in the school” based on EFCC investigation. 

    If explained recent media reports have highlighted issues between the Economic Financial

    Crimes Commission (EFCC) and AISA and a family with children enrolled at the

    school, stemming from an investigation carried out in 2022.

    According to the institution: “As a school we did accept an advance payment for school fees, and duly

    documented these fees in our records. Upon learning that the school fees we

    accepted in good faith were, in fact, part of an ongoing case with the EFCC, at no point has the school been accused of any wrong doing in relation to this

    case and we are cooperating fully with the EFCC to address matters currently

    before the courts”.

    It stated since “these legal matters are being resolved within the

    judicial system and involve one of the  families, the school will refrain from making any

    further comments at this time.” 

  • Tell EFCC to obey rule of law on Yahaya Bello, group begs Tinubu

    Tell EFCC to obey rule of law on Yahaya Bello, group begs Tinubu

    The North Central Progressive Voice, a Pan-Nigerian sociocultural group, has issued an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, expressing grave concern over the recent actions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) targeting former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state. 

    The group calls upon the president to intervene and prevent further escalation, fearing potential damage to the administration’s reputation.

    The letter, signed by the group’s convener, Comrade Umar Gambo highlights the need for Tinubu to intervene and prevent further escalation of the situation, which they fear could bring the administration to public odium.

    The group in Minna, the Niger State Capital on Saturday, April 27, at the NUJ Press Center Minna addressed a World Press Conference and took a solidarity walk along the streets before submitting the copy of the open letter to former Military President, Major General Ibrahim Babangida for onward communication to Tinubu.

    The letter, dated April 27th, 2024, hailed President Tinubu and outlined the organization’s dedication to upholding the independence of the judiciary and civil society. 

    It recounts the events of April 17th, 2024, when the EFCC conducted a raid on Yahaya Bello’s home, allegedly in connection with charges of money laundering. 

    The group expressed concern over the EFCC’s actions and potential violations of constitutional principles and the rule of law.

    Drawing attention to a court order issued by the Lokoja High Court on February 9th, 2024, which prohibited the EFCC from arresting or prosecuting Yahaya Bello, the letter highlights the EFCC’s subsequent appeal and the pending motion for a stay of execution.

    The group criticizes the EFCC’s decision to secure a warrant for Bello’s arrest from another court while the appeal was still pending, emphasizing the importance of due process and respect for judicial authority.

    Although EFCC have written to the Appellate Court on Wednesday 27/4/2024 seeking the withdrawal of the appeal on the restraining order granted  Bello earlier by the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja, Nigerians are disappointed and embarrassed.

    Legal experts, including Frank Tietie and Bar. Daniel Bwalla, have criticized the EFCC’s handling of the case, labeling it as a potential media trial or subjudice. They stress the importance of respecting court orders and due process, urging Bello to exhaust all available legal remedies.

    The North Central Progressive Voice urges President Tinubu to leverage his political experience to address the EFCC’s actions and ensure the agency’s accountability. They stress the importance of upholding due process, even for law enforcement agencies, to prevent further violations of civil rights.

    The group expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his prompt attention to the matter and assures him of its utmost regards.

    The letter reads, “On behalf of the North Central Progressive Voice, a Pan-Nigerian Sociocultural group, we extend our greetings to you, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the esteemed leader of our nation. We find ourselves compelled to communicate with you through this open letter, as we believe it is imperative to address certain matters of importance.

    “We are an autonomous, non-profit organization dedicated to utilizing the Constitution, the Judicial system, principles of social justice, and the rule of law to advocate for and uphold the Independence of the Judiciary and civil society. Our vision is to create a society where the judiciary fulfills its duty of administering justice impartially, and where law enforcement agencies maintain their integrity without being manipulated by political interests to target adversaries.

    “On April 17, 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) conducted a raid on the home of the former Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Yahaya Bello, with the intent to arrest him on charges related to Money Laundering. This incident raises concerns about the EFCC’s actions and their potential violation of constitutional principles, judicial authority, and the rule of law. We hereby extend an invitation to Mr. President to address this matter, which reflects a clear case of disregard for the authority and sanctity of our Constitution and legal system by the EFCC.

    “On February 9, 2024, the Lokoja High Court issued an order prohibiting the EFCC from arresting, detaining, or prosecuting former Governor His Excellency Yahaya Bello. This order was officially served on the EFCC on February 12, 2024. 

    “Subsequently, on February 26, 2024, the EFCC lodged an appeal (Appeal No.: CA/ABJ/CV/175/2024: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission versus Alhaji Yahaya Bello) against the aforementioned order with the Court of Appeal Abuja Division. Alongside the appeal, the EFCC submitted a Motion for a Stay of Execution of the High Court’s order. The Court of Appeal scheduled a hearing for this motion on April 22, 2024. 

    “Shortly after the Kogi high court delivered its judgment, while the appeal was yet to be head, the EFCC secured a warrant from Emeka Nwite, presiding judge of the federal high court in Abuja, to arrest Bello.

    “In a nation governed by laws, of which the EFCC is a product, the minimum expectation is adherence to due process and respect for judicial authority. If the EFCC indeed has a case against the former governor, it should refrain from abusing court procedures and prosecutorial powers. In a civilized society, the EFCC should await a ruling on the matter before taking further action, rather than violating the fundamental human rights of the former governor and flouting judicial orders.

    “Justice KEKERE-EKUN, JSC, in the case of ADEGBANKE v. OJELABI & ORS (2021-LCER-40456-SC) (Pp 32-33 Paras D-A), emphasized that a court order, once perfected and unappealed, remains valid and binding until set aside by a competent court or authority.

    “The disregard of court orders by law enforcement agencies can erode public trust in the justice system, undermine the rule of law, diminish judicial authority, lead to miscarriages of justice, and result in civil rights violations.

    “In his view, Lawyer and Executive Director of Citizens Advocacy For Social and Economic Rights (CESAR), Frank Tietie has said that the EFCC did not conduct itself properly in handling its case against the former governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello.

    “He said this while speaking in an interview with Arise News on Monday.

    “He said, “What the EFCC is trying to do is to bring a contestation and a contest of force, abusing its force, having convinced itself that it has made mistakes in the way it has approached Yahaya Bello’s ordeal by filing false statements against him.

    “The EFCC didn’t conduct itself properly. In that case, it’s important that Yahaya Bello will fully exhaust all of the remedies available to him in the constitution.”

    “Moreso, in TVC’s “Journalists Hangout,” concerns surfaced regarding the recent actions of the EFCC regarding the case of Yahaya Bello and journalists condemned the EFCC’s moves. Babajide Kolade-Otitoju led the discussion, stressing the importance of the EFCC addressing the court order prohibiting them from arresting, prosecuting, or detaining Bello before taking any further steps. Veteran journalists unanimously criticized the EFCC’s actions, insisting on the importance of obeying court orders. 

    “They pointed out similar cases involving politicians like Bello Matawalle, Peter Odili, and Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, who were also protected by court orders. Legal expert Liborous Oshoma criticized the EFCC’s approach, calling it melodramatic. He highlighted Bello’s lawsuit against the EFCC at the Kogi High Court, which led to the restraining order, and condemned the EFCC for not obtaining Bello’s statement before attempting to arrest or charge him.

    “While judges have taken steps to demand respect from law enforcement agencies, we urge the EFCC to be held accountable by inviting them for questioning and possible prosecution. Instances where judges have held law enforcement leaders accountable for disobeying court orders, such as the arrest of the former Inspector General of Police, demonstrate the importance of upholding judicial decisions.

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    “We commend Mr. President’s extensive experience in navigating political challenges. As someone who has faced the abuse of power by prosecuting agencies in the past, we trust that Mr. President will address the EFCC’s unjust attempt to arrest former Governor Bello in defiance of a standing court order. We urge Mr. President to call upon the Chairman of the EFCC to answer for the blatant disobedience of court orders and to prevent further violations of the governor’s civil rights. Upholding due process is essential, even for law enforcement agencies.

    “The commission’s irresponsible and unconstitutional actions, if allowed to persist unchecked, have the potential to tarnish the reputation of an administration that has garnered widespread support from conscientious Nigerians.

    “We express our gratitude to Mr. President in advance for his prompt attention to the matter mentioned above.”