It’s needless declaring Yahaya Bello wanted- Bwala
By Innocent Raphael
A former spokesman for the 2023 Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation, Daniel Bwala, has criticized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for declaring Yahaya Bello, the immediate past governor of Kogi State, as wanted.
In a post on his X handle on Friday, Bwala expressed his views in response to the EFCC’s failed attempt to arrest Bello at his Abuja residence.
Recall that the EFCC had urged the public to provide information on Bello’s whereabouts after he was reportedly taken away by his successor, Ahmed Ododo, on Wednesday, thereby evading arrest by the antigraft agency.
The agency cited offences related to economic and financial crimes amounting to N80.2 billion as the reason for declaring Bello wanted.
Bwala argued that the EFCC had the necessary mechanisms and intelligence to apprehend Bello without resorting to public assistance.
He referenced the agency’s previous tactics, such as the arrest of former Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha in 2022, as examples of effective strategies that could have been utilized.
Bwala added that the EFCC could employ methods such as leveraging security details and surveillance instruments for geo-tracking and geo-locating to locate Bello.
Bwala wrote, “Unless EFCC and Yaya Bello are both doing [a] simulation for a movie about the agency and former governors, the press statement captioned “wanted” is not necessary.”
“You were at his residence to effect arrest – you failed to apply ACJA or better still what you did to Okorocha at his residence.
“You knew who came and whisked him away – you allowed that. Both him and the incumbent governor have security detail from police and SSS who must report activities including the whereabouts of their VIPs to their commands – meaning his whereabouts is not hidden.
“You knew Police and SSS have surveillance instruments for geo-tracking and geo-locating- yet you failed to approach. You are asking the general public to give you information about someone you have every reason to know his whereabouts. Please do your job without dramatising it.”
Recall also that in May 2022, the EFCC officials broke through the roof of Okorocha’s house to arrest him, after six hours of laying siege to his house.
It is important to note that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) as mentioned by Bwala was enacted by the National Assembly in 2015. It applies to criminal trials for offenses established by an Act of the National Assembly and other crimes punishable in Abuja.
The aim of the ACJA is to enhance the management of criminal justice institutions, expedite the dispensation of justice, safeguard society from crime, and protect the rights and interests of suspects, defendants, and victims in Nigeria.
