“EFCC’s Manhunt: Yahaya Bello Still on the Most-Wanted List!”

Dele Oyewale, spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), has stated that former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello remains on the wanted list until he is apprehended. Bello has been evading capture for 107 days since the EFCC issued a wanted notice.

On April 18, 2024, the anti-corruption agency declared Bello wanted in connection with a staggering ₦80.25 billion money laundering case. The pursuit faced a setback on April 17 when a group of armed men, identified as ‘Special Forces,’ and some policemen thwarted the EFCC’s attempt to arrest him at his residence in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, criticized the EFCC’s efforts, suggesting they are not genuinely committed to capturing Bello. He pointed out that despite the EFCC’s high-tech resources and their chairman’s dramatic pledge to resign if Bello was not arrested, the former governor remains at large. Nwanguma argued that if Bello were a poorer individual, the EFCC would have already succeeded in his arrest.

In response, Oyewale defended the EFCC’s actions, dismissing any claims of compromise or reluctance. He explained that the matter is currently in court, with several legal orders in place. Oyewale emphasized that the EFCC’s declaration of Bello as wanted remains valid until his arrest, and the judicial processes are actively progressing.