•Ododo and Bello arrive EFCC office in Abuja September 19
The Kogi State House of Assembly yesterday accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of attempting to assassinate Governor Usman Ododo and his predecessor, Yahaya Bello.
The Assembly said the persecution of the former governor had dragged for too long and must be stopped, reports The Nation.
The lawmakers also called for the immediate sack of EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede for his alleged unprofessional handling of the case against ex-Governor Bello.
But a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Journalists Against Corruption (JAC), hailed Olukoyede for handling the Yahaya Bello saga with professionalism.
It urged President Bola Tinubu to call Governor Ododo to order for allegedly shielding Bello from the law.
The Kogi State lawmakers spoke during plenary in Lokoja, condemning what they called EFCC operatives’ unprovoked attack on the Kogi State Government Lodge in Abuja.
They said an attack on Ododo was also an attack on the people of Kogi State.
The lawmakers’ resolutions followed the consideration of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Akus Lawal (Ankpa I State Constituency), which Jacob Olawunmi (Mopamuro State Constituency) seconded.
In his lead debate, Lawal said the EFCC was out to humiliate and possibly “kill” Bello and Ododo.
His colleagues supported the motion.
Olawumi said the audited financial reports of the state had always been published by the state government.
He added: “The State House of Assembly can categorically say that no money is missing to warrant EFCC’s unwarranted witch-hunt of the former governor.”
Abu Jibril (Ajaokuta State Constituency) called for the sack of the EFCC boss for allegedly attempting to “kill” the governor.
The lawmaker urged President Tinubu to remove him immediately.
According to him, the EFCC’s conduct showed that the chairman was incapable of leading a supposed impartial agency like the EFCC.
“The (EFCC) chairman has shown incompetence that warrants his removal,” he said.
Bode Ogunmola (Ogori/Magongo State Constituency) said: “If I am in London and there is a crisis, if I get to the Nigerian House, I will feel safe. If I am in Abuja and there is a crisis, I believe that if I get to the Kogi Government Lodge, I will be safe.
“For the EFCC chairman to order that fire be opened on the official lodge of the governor, he should be sacked and prosecuted. We should be told why he wanted to kill our governor.”
Majority Leader Suleiman AbdulRazak alleged that EFCC was acting a script written by some political enemies of the former governor.
The lawmaker said the president should be notified of the assassination attempt on the incumbent and former governors.
He noted that the arrest drama was staged to embarrass the former governor.
Yahaya Umar (Omala State Constituency) said: “The unlawful conducts of the EFCC showed that the intention of the chairman was not to arrest former Governor Yahaya Bello but to ridicule the state.
“The chronology of how the event happened shows that the problem of the chairman is not with the offences being alleged, but that they want to disgrace the defendant and Kogi State in general,” he said.
Deputy Speaker Comfort Nwuchiola Egwaba said: “The EFCC is just trying to give the former governor a bad name through the media trial. The EFCC is not sincere in this fight. It has an agenda it is pursuing and the entire people of the state, particularly the women and youths, will not accept this.”
Speaker Aliyu Yusuf, who read the resolution of the Assembly, said: “The House formally categorises the April 17 and September 18 incidents as assassination attempts on the former governor and, by extension, a threat to the life of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
“The unprovoked attack on the Governor’s Lodge and the firing of live rounds within a diplomatic residential zone further demonstrates that the EFCC has fully marinated in a sense of its own importance and power and now considers itself not only above the law but unanswerable to anyone or institution for its actions.
“Because the EFCC chairman has shown constantly, gross incompetence, the House has resolved that the president should relieve him of his appointment with immediate effect and replace him with a competent officer who will give Mr. President’s crusade for rule of law the needed effectiveness.”
Also, JAC urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call Ododo to order for his alleged “obstruction of the statutory functions of the EFCC” when the EFCC wanted to arrest and prosecute to account for his activities when he was “governor of Kogi State for eight years”.
A statement by JAC’s Programmes Director Kehinde Osifisan reads: “A valid and subsisting warrant of arrest had earlier been issued against Bello. What is expected of a decent personality, especially a former governor, is to submit to the rule of law and make himself available for interrogation and possible prosecution.
“It is very clear and unambiguous that the immunity presently enjoyed by Governor Ododo does not cover his predecessor.
“It is on this note that we are calling on President Tinubu not to watch the disgusting and internationally embarrassing scenario involving Bello and Ododo further, as it portends serious danger for nation.
“But for the maturity and professionalism of the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Olu Olukoyede, the invasion of the EFCC headquarters by Bello and Ododo on September 19, 2024 with the full retinue of the Kogi governor’s security convey, which included armed mobile policemen, DSS operatives and others, the situation would have led to casualties, bearing in mind the interagency rivalry among the forces.
“While commending Mr. Olukoyede of EFCC, we urge him not to be discouraged and to ensure he brings to book not only Yahaya Bello but all other so-called “sacred cows” who have stalled the progress of the nation with unmitigated corruption.”
