The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has revealed why anti-graft agency, the EFCC has not been able to arrest the embattled past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
In April, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, declared Bello, wanted for alleged financial crime to the tune of N80.2 billion.
The anti-graft agency had at various times stormed Bello’s residence in Abuja in an attempt to arrest him but his successor, Usman Ododo, had come to his rescue, whisking him away to his lodge.
The former governor has also not appeared before the trial judge despite many adjournments and Onanuga has attributed the inability of security agencies to arrest the former governor due to the “complicated” nature of the case.
During an interview with Channels, Onanuga was asked why police authorities can’t order orderlies attached to Ododo to arrest Bello, and he responded saying; “I think it’s a bit complicated. The EFCC is an agency of the Federal Government, and it wants to arrest Yahaya Bello. Yahaya Bello is hiding under the agbada (flowing robe) of the governor of Kogi State, his (Bello’s) successor, who happens to enjoy immunity.
“That’s the problem because 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.
“It’s like a diplomat enjoying certain immunity; you cannot do anything about it. You remember in the UK when they were looking for the Wikileaks man and he went to hide in one embassy in Britain, there was nothing they (security agents) could do, they left him there. I think he later came out and they arrested him.
“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.”