Alleged Fraud: Ex-Governor Yahaya Bello Remains Innocent Until Proven Guilty – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, remained innocent of fraud allegations until proven guilty by a competent court of law.

The Commission stressed that Bello’s trial was still ongoing and that it was solely the responsibility of the court, not the EFCC, to determine his guilt or innocence.

Speaking on Monday while appearing on Arise News breakfast show! ‘The Morning Show’, the EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwuajeren, explained that criminal prosecution in Nigeria takes time, as it involves the presentation of witnesses and evidence before the court.

Uwuajeren said the EFCC is currently prosecuting the case by presenting witnesses and evidence, noting that the final outcome rests entirely with the court.

He further noted that under the Nigerian Constitution, any person standing trial is presumed innocent until proven guilty, adding that Bello’s status or treatment within his political party has no bearing on the charges filed against him.

According to him, the EFCC has no interest in party politics and remains focused on diligently prosecuting the case before the court.

He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to ensuring justice for both the prosecution and the defence, stressing that nothing has gone amiss in the handling of the matter.

“One thing we need to understand is how criminal prosecution works in Nigeria. It takes some time before you prove some of these issues in court. As I speak to you, the trial is still ongoing before the courts,” Uwuajeren said.

“We are presenting witnesses, we have presented evidence. It is not the commission that is going to decide the matter; it is the court that will decide the matter. All we need to do is to follow the prosecution as it is going on in court and ensure that, at the end of the day, both the prosecution and the defence get justice,” he added.

Uwuajeren continued, “Yahaya Bello, as we speak, is under trial, but the Constitution presumes that anyone under trial is innocent until proven guilty. So whatever is happening to him within his party is purely party affairs. It has nothing to do with the EFCC or the charges we have filed before the court.”

“So the responsibility we owe Nigerians is to be faithful to the charges we have filed and to prosecute them diligently. Nothing has happened, nothing has gone amiss, and we remain committed to doing that,” he said.

He concluded that, “Whatever the party does to Yahaya Bello is the party’s business. EFCC is not a political party. We are not interested in politics. We are a law enforcement agency, and we are enforcing the law.”