The Kogi House of Assembly on Tuesday urged the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to obey a court order regarding the alleged N80.4 billion fraud case against former Governor Yahaya Bello.

During its plenary in Lokoja, the house equally called on the commission to remove the “WANTED” tag placed around Mr Bello’s name and person with immediate effect.

On April 18, the commission declared the former governor wanted after it could not succeed in arresting him despite a court injunction restraining it from arresting, detaining, and prosecuting him.

“The EFCC, IGP, NIS, National Security Adviser and other agencies conscripted into this melodrama should endeavour to act accordingly.

“The commission should not allow itself to become a tool for political vendetta, blackmail, or intimidation against any individual through personal grudges, persecution, and campaign of calumny to tarnish

the image of personalities from Kogi.

“This honourable house condemns in its entirety a statement credited to a legal practitioner suggesting a request that the military be involved in the case that does not constitute a threat to internal security or treasonable felony,” it said.

The resolutions of the lawmakers followed an earlier motion raised by Jibril Onoru-Oiza (APC-Ajaokuta).

Mr Onoru-Oiza said the various reports “debasing” Mr Bello had affected the former governor’s emotions and impressions of the state residents.

”Kogi, over the years, has witnessed a worrisome trend and torrent of witch-hunt by the anti-graft agency, unrepentantly striving to force corruption claims on the state government, officials and now again an ex-governor.

“This is not forgetting the plight of late Prince Abubakar Audu in the hands of the same agency, albeit giving a dog a bad name to kill it,” he said.

The lawmaker said the EFCC had first alleged that the governor diverted over N20 billion bailout into a Sterling Bank account in 2021, after which the state assembly berated the anti-graft agency.

“It appears the EFCC’s objectives are being eroded by certain selfish groups of political individuals with access to media and investigations in the commission,” said the lawmaker.

“It’s unfortunate and saddening that the EFCC has continued the trajectory of persecuting the former governor against all known legal decencies, which is now likened, by most, to a personal vendetta. But the question is why? ” he asked.

According to him, Kogi, by allocation standard, is not rich so much so that N80.4 billion will be missing, adding, “This claim by the EFCC should be sanctioned and taken as laughable.”

Also, former deputy speaker of the House Enema Paul and member representing Kabba-Bunu State Constituency Oluwaseyi Bello berated EFCC in their submissions for allegedly disobeying a subsisting court order.

The speaker of the House, Aliyu Yusuf, admonished the anti-craft agency not to act contrary to the country’s law.

Mr Yusuf said, ”This house is not against the EFCC doing their jobs, but they should do it within the ambit of the law and not in a Gestapo way.

“The country belongs to all of us, so we must respect the law and work with it. The EFCC’s engagement in a media trial and working in a gestapo way is unacceptable.

“If Yahaya Bello has a case to answer, it should be done within the rule of law.” 

(NAN)