The Presidency has shed light on the complications preventing the arrest of former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello, despite repeated efforts by security agencies.
In an appearance on Channels Television’s “Inside Sources with Laolu Akande” on Sunday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga addressed the challenges facing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in apprehending Bello.
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He pointed to Bello’s close relationship with his successor, Governor Usman Ododo, who enjoys constitutional immunity.
“The EFCC is an agency of the Federal Government, and it wants to arrest Yahaya Bello. Yahaya Bello is hiding under the ‘agbada’ of the governor of Kogi State, his successor, who happens to enjoy immunity,” Onanuga explained.
In April, the EFCC declared Bello wanted over an alleged financial crime involving N80.2 billion, and multiple attempts to arrest him have been thwarted. According to Onanuga, Ododo’s constitutional immunity complicates the situation, as security agents would breach this immunity if they entered the governor’s residence to detain Bello. “If he [Bello] stays inside Governor Ododo’s house, the police cannot do anything because they will be violating that immunity that the man enjoys,” Onanuga said.
Onanuga likened the situation to the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who evaded arrest in the UK by seeking refuge in an embassy. “It’s the same thing. Ododo enjoys immunity. Yahaya Bello is believed to be hiding there. They cannot storm the place and say they want to arrest him. That’s the problem of the EFCC, and the police cannot help the EFCC,” he added.
Bello, who served as Kogi’s governor from 2016 to May 2024, has yet to respond to multiple court summons related to his case.
