The Abuja residence of the former governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, popularly known and called the ‘White Lion’ by many admirers and supporters was on Wednesday turned into a Hollywood scene as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) fenced off the area in a bid to arrest the man described by the opposition as tough in dealing contrary voices. As news of the face-off over the arrest of Bello trended on dozens of social and traditional media platforms, the erstwhile governor’s successor, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, appeared at the residence of the Kogi political godfather. Arriving at the residence of his former boss that was already surrounded by unsmiling faces of EFCC personnel, the governor’s convoy, closely followed by security men, wearing ‘Special Forces’ insignia, and clutching weapons, made its way to the home of the ‘White Lion’, now quarantined to his lair.
Aided escape
Some moments later, exactly at 4:20pm, the governor’s car drove out of the securely guarded home of Bello, amidst blasts of gunshots as warning to EFCC operatives, many bystanders that had been attracted by the drama, scampered for safety. The whisking away of the former governor by his successor has been condemned by many, with some Nigerians calling on the Kogi state legislature to commence impeachment process against the governor for averting the arrest of predecessor over the N80 billion alleged money laundering charges.
Describing the action of Ododo as unconstitutional and illegitimate, Human Rights attorney, Deji Ajare, in a letter to the Speaker of the Kogi state House of Assembly, pleaded for the impeachment of Bello’s godson and successor, stressing, “In the light of the above allegations and the inherent potential breaches of statutory duties imposed by the Constitution and other relevant laws of our country, these actions, if proven true, amount to gross misconduct and warrant immediate investigation and commencement of impeachment proceedings”.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, was full of irritability over the action of the governor who aided his godfather to escape arrest. In his words: “A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
No way out
Several curves have been encountered since the anti-graft commission commenced efforts at docking Bello to explain his roles in the N80 billion alleged fraud. While a Kogi State High Court has restrained the commission from arresting the former state helmsman over the alleged N80.2 billion fraud, another High Court in the Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) granted a warrant of arrest on Bello. On Thursday, following the failure by the commission’s operatives to arrest the former governor, the EFCC declared Bello a wanted person. Yesterday, in a bid to confirm that no stone was left unturned to bring Bello to justice, the Inspector General of the Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, withdrew police personnel attached to the former governor. Now that all police personnel attached to Bello have been withdrawn, the ‘White Lion’ is now without official security, thus making it easy for his arrest without resistance.
Unlike in the past when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power; nothing is now considered a family affair. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the new man calling the shots in the power corridors, has vowed not to cover up fraud. Different from the past when the presidency played the Esau’s hands in protecting party members engaged in fraud, those accused of corruption must now absolve themselves of criminal complicity.
Caged lion
Yours sincerely was reliably informed by a source that the role of Ododo in preventing the arrest of Bello has infuriated some top officials of the presidency. Whisking away the former governor by Ododo has been rightly interpreted as a deliberate ploy to shield the political godfather from prosecution. The withdrawal of security personnel, the declaration of Bello as a wanted person by the EFCC, and his inclusion on the watchlist by the Nigerian Immigrations Service (NIS) are clear signs that the full weight of the law is set to be unleashed on the erstwhile governor if he does not turn himself in to the Commission. Yours sincerely was reliably informed yesterday that Ododo has been advised by some top presidency officials to immediately bring his predecessor to the EFCC Abuja head office or face the consequences.
Those afraid of the past may possibly be tormented by the dread of having their past deeds exposed. To the man who singularly made the emergence of Ododo as governor, there is little the godson can do to save him now. The windstorm of accountability for the past is blowing across his path. Having enjoyed the spoils of power in the last eight years, there is no power within his command to protect him against accounting for the past. For Bello who ruled as Kogi governor for eight years, he is about coming to terms with the fleeting nature of political power. Not even his successor can prevent him from becoming an unwilling guest of the EFCC in the coming days.
