Yahaya Bello
Why police can’t assist EFCC to arrest Yahaya Bello — Onanuga
Spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, has explained why police and other security agencies have been unable to apprehend former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, despite efforts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to Onanuga, the situation is “complicated” due to the immunity enjoyed by Bello’s successor, Governor Usman Ododo.
Onanuga made the remarks during an interview on Inside Sources, a socio-economic programme hosted by Laolu Akande and broadcast on Channels Television.
In April, the EFCC declared Bello, who governed Kogi State from May 2015 to May 2023, wanted for allegedly mismanaging N80.2 billion. Several attempts by the EFCC to arrest him at his residence were thwarted, with reports suggesting that Governor Ododo intervened by relocating Bello to the state lodge for protection.
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While the case is currently in court, the former governor has repeatedly failed to appear before the trial judge, leading to numerous adjournments.
Addressing the issue of why the police cannot order Ododo’s security detail to arrest Bello, Onanuga explained, “I think it’s a bit complicated. The EFCC is a Federal Government agency seeking to arrest Yahaya Bello. However, Bello is hiding under the protection of his successor, Governor Ododo, who enjoys immunity.”
He continued, “If Bello stays in Governor Ododo’s residence, the police cannot act because doing so would violate the immunity the governor enjoys.”
Onanuga likened the situation to the case of Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, who sought asylum in an embassy in the UK to evade arrest. “It’s like a diplomat enjoying certain immunity. Security agents could not touch Assange while he was inside the embassy. It was only after he came out that he was arrested. The same principle applies here,” he said.
He concluded, “Since Ododo enjoys immunity, and Bello is believed to be hiding in his residence, the EFCC is limited in what it can do, and the police are unable to assist in the arrest.”
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