Shina Rambo, you probably know but do you know who Yahaya Bello of Kogi State is? At just 39-years-old, Bello became the youngest man to become governor in Nigeria, he’s a lover of real estate and a present father. If you ask me, I’ll say this reads like a good Instagram bio but for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), it reads like a billion-naira lawsuit.
What did Yahaya Bello do to EFCC?
Yahaya Bello and EFCC have been wearing the same trouser since May. It all started when the EFCC chairman accused Bello of taking the “present father” role too seriously by moving $720,000 out of Kogi State’s resources to a Bureau De Change operator to pay for his children’s education in advance – and I’m only quoting the EFCC Chairman here: “because he knew he was going”.
Since then, the ex-governor has been everywhere except the EFCC’s office and the courtroom. But after months of merry-go-rounding, Yahaya Bello finally decided to honour EFCC’s invitation. The EFCC wasn’t impressed with the visit, calling it a calculated move to avoid legal proceedings and influence public opinion.
Unfortunately, it gets even messier
The list of Yahaya Bello’s alleged crimes just keeps getting longer. On Wednesday, the Federal Government brought new 16-count charges against the former Kogi State Governor for an alleged breach of trust involving ₦110.4 billion. The charges against Bello are criminal offenses according to Sections 96 and 311 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 312 —think seven years behind bars or a fine that is somebody’s 20-year salary, or maybe both!
Bello will be joined by Kogi State officials Abdulsalami Hudu and Umar Oricha, who are accused of using state funds amounting to millions of naira and dirhams to buy properties in the bougie areas of Abuja and Dubai. Talk about a real lover of real estate!
The Bello family and EFCC go way back
The Bellos are not new to handling EFCC cases and somehow coming out on top which says alot about Nigeria’s justice system. Last year, Yahaya Bello’s wife, Rashida Bello, his nephew, and three other people were arraigned by EFCC on an 18-count charge “bordering on criminal misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of ₦3,081,804,654.” Rashida and the four others in this case pleaded not guilty.
In what should go down in history as the biggest plot twist ever, Alli Bello, the nephew of the former governor who was eventually granted bail of ₦500m by the court alongside 3 others, currently serves as the appointed chief of staff to Ahmed Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi (present governor of Kogi who was accused of helping Yahaya Bello escape arrest five months ago).
Bello is no stranger to corruption allegations and controversy either
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, he denied the virus’s existence and opposed vaccination, against scientific consensus.
- He spent over ₦90 million on COVID-19 tracking software that should have cost around ₦300,000.
And he’s not the only governor with similar allegations
One thing Nigerian politicians will do is get away with corruption (unfortunately). But life is full of surprises and it will be one hell of a pleasant surprise if EFCC proves Nigerians wrong but holding Yahaya Bello accountable if found guilty.
