HURIWA charges EFCC on arrest of Yahaya Bello

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to immediately arrest and produce in court the immediate past Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello.

HURIWA said the indecision on the part of EFCC to go all out to apprehend and physically produce the past governor before the court of law, is a betrayal of the institution of the anti-corruption.

In a statement by the National Coordinator Emmanuel Onwubiko, the Chairman EFCC to this end, is asked to resign if the commission is too weak and afraid to arrest Bello even when it is apparent that the EFCC has a working knowledge of the hideout.

Yahaya Bello, on Thursday, failed to appear in court as agreed in the last hearing in the same court by his lawyers but instead, the erstwhile governor is urging the Federal High Court in Abuja to transfer his case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to Kogi.

His lawyer, Adeola Adedipe told the court on Thursday that since he was alleged to have committed the offence when he was the governor of Kogi State, it is proper for the case to be held in the state.

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“It will be recalled that the former governor had on four occasions refused to appear in court, citing various reasons, like bias against him by the anti-graft agency.

“HURIWA through the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko called on the EFCC to stop the circus shows that it is staging with the former helmsman of Kogi state and proceed to arrest him since the EFCC has admitted knowing those who are shielding him from arrest. 

“Anything less than arresting Yahaya Bello within the next 24 hours should be interpreted as a massive compromise by the EFCC to undermine the anti-graft war just as the Rights group has called on all credible civil society organisations to mount pressure on the EFCC’S Chairman to either arrest Yahaya Bello now or quietly step down from office.”