Alleged fraud: Ex- gov, Buhari’s ministers on the run

•Tinubu refuses to stop arrest, prosecution

From Fred Itua, Abuja

Immediate-past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and some ministers who served in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, have vanished from public spaces over fears of imminent arrests by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Like other former governors, Bello who left office in January after eight years in office, has been named as a co-conspirator in an alleged corrupt conduct.

Bello’s name was mentioned during the re-arraignment of his nephew, Ali Bello, and a co-defendant for money laundering at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The EFCC had amended the charges on 5 February, raising the number of counts from 10 to 17 against the younger Bello and his co-defendant, Dauda Suleiman. The trial started in 2022.

Though the EFCC has not officially charged Bello to court, the embattled former governor has been at loggerheads with the  anti-graft agency.

Daily Sun has  gathered from multiple sources familiar with the development that Bello has refused to attend any public function or visit certain places for weeks now over fears that he maybe picked up by  EFCC operatives who are believed to be trailing him.

The former governor, who sources said has become a permanent guest at the Government House, Lokoja and occasionally in Abuja, has been making frantic, but unsuccessful efforts to get an audience with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

However, an official of the EFCC claimed that the agency was working hard to pick the former governor .It was learnt that the EFCC has already started profiling his alleged hidden assets in Nigeria and abroad for confistication, pending when the case will be decided in court.

It was further learnt that the EFCC has secured the necessary approvals from the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Presidency to proceed with the prosecution of the embattled former governor.

“Bello made enemies with powerful forces when he was governor. He will not escape this. The amount he allegedly stole is too huge to be ignored, even by President Tinubu.

“Instead of hiding, he should face the music. The EFCC is bent on prosecuting him. The matter didn’t start today. Even when his friend Buhari was the President, EFCC was onto him.

“Since Tinubu has refused to see Governor Ododo on the matter, it means Bello will face the music alone. He has lost his immunity and the unnecessary game he’s playing will not work,” a reliable source revealed.

In the meantime, Daily Sun has gathered that some top ministers who served in the administration of President Buhari, have fled the country to evade arrest and prosecution by the EFCC.

Two of the ministers both from North West, were among the most powerful during Buhari’s reign and were named in many multi-billion naira fraud while they held sway in office.

Close allies and relatives of the former ministers have already been arrested and quizzed by operatives of the EFCC. Their assets and bank accounts linked to proceeds of crimes, have also been confisticated and frozen.

Confirming the claims, an official of the EFCC who doesn’t want to be named, said Bello has been evading arrest, but vowed that he will be  picked up soon and prosecuted.

The source also confirmed the claims about the other two former ministers from North West, who are on the run.

“With the  Interpol and other international collaborations, they’ll be  picked up soon, I can assure you that. They’ve many questions to answer,” the source said.

EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale could not  be  reached for comments on the developments.