The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has reaffirmed that the prosecution of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, is ongoing, stressing that the anti-graft agency has discharged its responsibility and that the matter now lies with the judiciary.
Olukoyede made the clarification amid public concerns over the pace of the trial, noting that Bello’s case is actively before the courts.
“Have I not made good that promise of commitment? Is Yahaya Bello not being prosecuted? The case is still in court,” Olukoyede said during an exclusive interview on Sunday Politics aired by Channels Television.
He recalled his pledge in April 2024 to personally oversee Bello’s prosecution, stating at the time that he would resign if the former governor was not brought before the court.
“If I do not personally oversee the completion of the investigation regarding Yahaya Bello, I will tender my resignation as the chairman of the EFCC,” he had declared.
Reiterating his stance, the EFCC chairman said the commission has filed multiple charges against Bello and is actively pursuing them.
“I have three cases against Yahaya Bello. Am I the judge who would determine the conviction? I have done my work. I have fulfilled my mandate,” he said, urging Nigerians to understand the separation of duties between investigators and the courts.
According to him, Bello has been fully investigated, charged, and is currently undergoing trial. The former governor is facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged property fraud amounting to ₦110 billion, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu. He is also standing trial before the Federal High Court on a separate 19-count charge involving alleged ₦80.2 billion fraud and money laundering.
The EFCC had declared Bello wanted in April 2024 over alleged financial crimes totaling about ₦80 billion.
Olukoyede further disclosed that Bello allegedly transferred $720,000 from the Kogi State Government’s account to a bureau de change as advance payment for his child’s school fees shortly before leaving office.
“A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government to bureau de change, used it to pay the child’s school fee in advance $720,000,” he said.
Describing the alleged act as unacceptable, he added, “In a poor state like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of ‘I’m being used’? Being used by who at this stage of my life?”
Olukoyede maintained that the EFCC would continue to pursue accountability, while the courts determine the final outcome of the case.
