Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council and the Yoruba Youth Council has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to respect the subsisting court order and ensure that democratic tenets are not jeopardised with respect to the planned arrest of former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello.
It could be recalled that the EFCC had in the last few days made an attempt to arrest the former governor and thereafter declared him wanted which Bello’s media handlers said was against an order of the Kogi State High Court, which granted injunction against the commission.
The planned arrest is said to be contrary to a subsisting court order granted on February 9, 2024 by the Kogi State High Court, Lokoja Division, in Suit No: HCL/68M/2024 between Alhaji Yahaya Bello Vs. EFCC, restraining the commission either by itself or its agents from harassing, arresting, detaining or prosecuting him, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive fundamental rights enforcement action.
But the EFCC is said to have appealed the order in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/175/2024, with the matter adjourned to 22nd day of April 2024.
In separate statements made available to newsmen, the public relations officer (PRO) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, Mr Chimaobi Ezejiofor and the president of the Yoruba Youth Council, Comrade Eric oluwole both expressed curiousness as to why the EFCC could not wait to exhaust the legal opportunities before clamping down on Bello.
Ezejiofor said government agencies should be at the forefront of respect for the rule of law, stressing that “having submitted itself to the courts by filing an appeal as well a stay of execution, one had expected that the EFCC should respect the res, but in this case, it chose to take laws into its hands.”
The groups urged the commission to respect the sanctity of the courts by allowing the Appeal Court to determine the case one way or the other.
For Ohanaeze youths said, “it is trite in law that once a matter is in court, both parties should maintain status quo until it is decided one way or the other. This is what we expect from the EFCC as an agency of government.
“The current action is tantamount to an assault on the rule of law and goes to show this could be a witch-hunt of some sort. Also, declaring the former governor wanted at this point over a matter that is before the Court of Appeal is not the right step to take. We, therefore, urge the Commission to enable the law to run its course and not be in haste to the extent of offending the laws.”
On their part, the Yoruba Youths said, EFCC must not jeopardise Nigeria’s hard-earned democracy in its attempt to arrest Bello over allegations of money laundry, adding that drafting the military to resolve civil, criminal, or whatever cases between Nigerians and government agencies in a democracy would be sending wrong signals about the nation’s commitment to the rule of law as applied in a Democracy.
It also cautioned the agency against taking the laws into its hands in a case that was already in court awaiting determination, adding that whatever the circumstances, the EFCC or any other government agencies should never be tempted to use the military in effecting the arrest of Nigerians under whatever guise, more so in a democracy.
