Some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have called on sitting governors, their predecessors and politically-exposed persons to resist the “unjust persecution” of former governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Led by the chairman of Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG), Barrister Jesutega Onokpasa, the ruling party leaders described as “utter travesty” the former governor’s unjust prosecution in the court of public opinion as against the court of law.
Also yesterday, a group, Ebiraland Youths Coalition called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure that nothing happens to Bello.
The youth, in a press statement signed by its coordinator, Mr Fache Onimisi Moses, said some people in high places, conniving with other ethnic bigots from Kogi State, were working tirelessly, not only to put the former governor’s life in the harm’s way, but also to ridicule the entire people of Ebiraland.
At a press conference addressed by Onokpasa in Abuja yesterday, they said it was a “coordinated witch-hunt against a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a former governor of one of the states of this country.”Flanked by Hon Abubarkar Iliyasu and Comrade Felix Etedjere, he said, “Today, it is Yahaya Bello’s turn, tomorrow, it might be yours”.
Onokpasa said the mischievous narrative of the former governor evading arrest was reckless.
He said, “As far as we are aware, former Governor Bello had obtained a court order retraining the EFCC from arresting, arraigning or prosecuting him and we state categorically that he was perfectly entitled in law to place reliance on the protection of the law, indeed the same law, which binds all of us in a civilised society.”
According to them, the motto of the EFCC is that no one is above the law and that starts with the commission, itself, which is certainly not and cannot possibly be above the law.
Onokpasa queried why the counsel to the former governor‘s political adversaries was at the same time persecuting him on behalf of the EFCC „apart from one of them most threatening to send the armed forces against him.“
He stated, „The remedy against an order of court is to vacate the order or to appeal the same and most certainly not for law enforcement to thump its nose against the court and decompose into lawlessness and brigandage.
„As usual, the EFCC has descended into grotesque unprofessionalism and playing to the gallery by taking what is beginning to appear as a persecution rather than a prosecution to the court of public opinion instead of lawfully canvassing it before the court of law.
„In the process, even the security details of former Governor Bello have been most rascally and illegally withdrawn thus exposing him to grave danger.“
He added, „We unequivocally condemn this witch-hunt against a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a former Governor of one of the states of this country.
„We enjoin all well-meaning citizens of our great nation to repudiate these excesses even as we call on all sitting governors, former governors and all politically exposed persons to stand against this utter travesty.
„Today, it may be Yahaya Bello‘s turn but tomorrow it might be yours“, he stressed.
In their reactions, the Ebira youths said the simultaneous actions of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police to withdraw the security guards of the former governor, not minding the subsisting court order restraining EFCC from arresting him, showed the connivance of powerful people, who possibly wanted Bello eliminated by all means.
„The action of the Police and DSS has now made the former governor vulnerable and the youths of our land will be left with no other options than to defend our own even if it‘s with our bare hands if the harassments continue unabated,“ the Ebira youths said
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