chairman of the nation’s anti-graft body, EFCC , Ola Olukoyede, yesterday disclosed sleazy details of their findings, revealing how the embattled ex-governor transferred $720,000 from the state government’s coffers to a bureau de change (BDC) before leaving office to pay in advance for his child’s school fee.
Nigeria’s anti-graft body, EFCC is bent of bringing former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, immediate Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika and suspended Humanitarian minister, Beta Edu to justice over abuse of office
• Olukoyede: Yahaya Bello withdrew $720,000 from Kogi account to pay child’s school fees
• ‘You’re harassing, peddling lies against me’, Bello tackles EFCC
• EFCC quizzes ex-Aviation Minister over alleged ₦8 billion fraud
• Kogi Assembly demands removal of ‘wanted’ from Bello’s name
As the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello keeps the court and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) waiting over his appearance from hiding to defend corruption allegations leveled against him, chairman of the nation’s anti-graft body, Ola Olukoyede, yesterday disclosed sleazy details of their findings, revealing how the embattled ex-governor transferred $720,000 from the state government’s coffers to a bureau de change (BDC) before leaving office to pay in advance for his child’s school fee.
This is just as he disclosed that the EFCC has pounced on another worse scheme other than the crypto trading platform, Binance and had gone ahead to freeze about 300 accounts to ensure the safety of the foreign exchange (forex) market.
The scheme popularly called the ‘P-to-P’ peer-peer financial trading scheme has operated outside the official banking and financial corridors and there was a looming disaster that could further crash the Naira value that has continued to gain in recent times.
Olukoyede’s disclosure is coming on the heels of recent reports that the activities of governments after the disbursement of money by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) had contributed to the depreciation of the naira. It was observed until lately that portions of the funds from FAAC were often changed to dollars by some governments at the parallel market, putting more pressure on the naira.
An analysis showed that from July 2023 to January 2024, the naira depreciated in six months immediately in the black market after the FAAC shared money with the federal, state and local governments.
Olukoyede revealed these during an interview with journalists in Abuja yesterday. Pointedly, he said: “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, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House. 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?”
Olukoyede further stated that he reached out to Bello, offering him a chance to clarify the situation in a respectful setting within the EFCC office but the ex-governor reportedly declined to cooperate, citing fears of harassment from an unnamed woman.
The EFCC boss said: “I didn’t initiate the case; I inherited the case file. I called for the file, and I said there were issues here. On my own, I called him, which I am not supposed to do, just to honour him as an immediate past governor. ‘Sir, there are issues. I’ve seen this case file. Can you just come let us clarify these issues? ’
“He said, ‘Haaa! Thank you, my brother. I know, but I can’t come. There’s one lady that has surrounded EFCC with over 100 people to come and embarrass me and intimidate me.’ ”
Bello was said to have suggested that the EFCC come to his village rather than investigate at the agency’s quarters.
“I said if that is the issue, I’m going to pass you through my gate, and you will come to my floor. We will accord you that respect. I will invite my operatives; they will interrogate and interview you in my own office. What could be more honourable than that to allay the fear? You know what he said: ‘Thank you, sir, but can’t they come to my village? Olukoyede added.
and other agencies conscripted into this melodrama be so informed and involved to act accordingly. The Commission should not allow itself to become a tool of political vendetta, blackmail, or intimidation against any individual through personal grudges, persecution, and campaign of calumny to tarnish the image of personalities from Kogi State, especially Yahaya Bello or any perceived political enemy of the characters hiding behind their executive powers to unleash allegations through media for public consumption and sympathy.
“The House condemns in its entirety a statement by legal practitioner suggesting a request that the military be involved in the case that does not constitute a threat to internal security or treasonable felony.”
Earlier in his motion, titled, “A call to end all false, frivolous, fictitious, and far from the truth smear campaign against the former governor,” Abu lamented that the anti-graft agency had been allegedly witch-hunting Bello for a long time.
“The consequence of this has deeply affected the minds, emotions, and impressions of Kogi citizens, and by extension, Nigerians. Kogi State, over the years, has witnessed a worrisome trend and torrent of witch-hunts by the anti-graft agency, unrepentantly striving to force corruption claims on the State Government and officials. This is not forgetting the plight of late Prince Abubakar Audu in the hands of the same agency, albeit, giving his dog a bad name for the kill.
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