remost human rights lawyer and immediate past Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, Mr. Kayode Oladele, has admonished the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to toe the line of honor by submitting himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for proper investigations on the alleged N84 billion theft rather than embarking on acts of impunity.
Oladele noted that as “former governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yayaha Bello no longer enjoys immunity, as there is no past governor in Nigeria that enjoys life immunity from prosecution and therefore should honorably submit himself to the rule of law. Unfortunately, he can only run, he cannot hide. The long arm of the law will eventually catch up with him “.
He further stated that “What the former governor is doing, without mincing words, is a gross violation of Nigeria’s constitution and promotion of a dangerous culture of impunity.”
Oladele states that “Yahaya Bello’s penchant for procuring court injunctions to evade justice is tantamount to setting a bad precedence in the country. I therefore lend my voice with other prominent Nigerians calling on the Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to effect the immediate arrest and prosecution of police officers, who had impeded the lawful arrest of Yahaya Bello by the EFCC operatives in his Abuja residences.”.
The former Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission also cautions Nigerian judges against granting spurious injunctions to impede criminal investigations, emphasizing that their actions are capable of damaging the reputation and undermining the integrity of the nation’s judicial system.
Oladele maintains that any High Court injunction, purportedly granted to restrain EFCC from lawfully arresting and prosecuting former Governor Yahaya Bello is a clear contravention of Section 35(1) (c) of the Nigerian Constitution which states that the police, anti-graft agencies and other prosecutorial bodies cannot be prevented by a court of law from arresting and prosecuting a criminal suspect, regardless of status on a reasonable evidence that he or she has committed a criminal offence”.
He further maintains that, “Nigerian judiciary, as the last hope of common man, provides the pillar for the survival of democracy and promotion of rule of law in the country and I call on the distinguished members of the Bar and the Bench, to at all times strive to maintain and sustain the inviolability and fidelity of the nation’s judicial system “.
It will be recalled that EFCC operatives had last week, laid siege on Yayaha Bello’s residence in Abuja to effect his arrest for questioning on the alleged N84 billion theft when he was governor of Kogi State. It was however widely reported by the media how, in a dramatic twist, Yahaya Bello, relying on an existing court order, restraining the EFCC from arresting him, evaded arrest as he was alleged to have escaped in the convoy of the current Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo.
Some prominent Nigerians and civil society organizations have condemned the action of Governor Usman Ododo for allegedly using his immunity to aid Bello’s escape from his Abuja residence thereby obstructing the lawful arrest of the former governor by the EFCC.
