By Abbanobi-Eku Onyekachi
A constitutional lawyer, Barr. Amobi Nzelu, has challenged former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state to submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), if he were not liable to the allegations against him by the anti crime agency.
He also advised the former governor to strictly obey the law and answer the call the way former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, did when he was invited by the anti graft agency. He also warned against linking Mr President to the matter.
Nzelu granted our reporter a telephone interview on Friday.
Before declaring him wanted, the anti crime agency has been inviting Bello to come and clear himself from alleged financial crime to the tune of about N80 billion, an order he has continued to dodge.
He said: “Yahaya Bello is behaving irresponsibly and a former number one citizen of Kogi state; his conduct is highly unfortunate. This country isn’t a Banana Republic. He can’t serve for eight good years without going to account for what he did for the period of eight years with public fund. He is a young man, but he isn’t doing well.”
Citing how Fayose was invited by EFCC and how he didn’t hesitate to go and clear himself, he said: “His continued refusal to obey the law isn’t proper. He should go and answer the call and he would either be given administrative bail, or he would look for someone to bail him there. The way he has been on the run, making him look like a criminal, isn’t fair.
Nzelu however condemned the role Governor Usman Ododo has been playing in the whole thing, he said: Ododo should stop that thing he is doing. He shouldn’t be using his convoy to carry Bello, because he put him there. We should move forward in this country.
“The EFCC has the right to arrest him. Nobody can stop them from doing their work. Getting exparte order from Kogi High Court isn’t accountability. If you don’t want to account for the way you used public fund,, you go and pay with your personal money. But once it is public money, you must account for it.”
He continued: “Ododo isn’t doing well. He should tell Bello to go and and answer the call. There is one law for this country. Unless they want me to believe that there are different laws for different people in this country. The former governor should go and respond. Look at the manpower deployed to arrest one man. Yahaya Bello should behave well.”
The Apo – Six saga lawyer therefore warned against linking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the case with the reason that Bello didn’t step down for Mr President, when all of them were aspiring for presidency, he said that Tinubu didn’t tell him to shun EFCC’s invitation.
In response to a question, if Tinubu had a hand in the matter based on what transpired during their presidential aspiration, he responded that it wasn’t Tinubu that told the EFCC to do their lawful duties. When asked if the officers and men of the EFCC were afraid of Bello contrary to what happened when Okorocha refused EFCC’s invitation, he said that they went to Bello’s house, without invading into it, due to the fact that a court order from the Kogi High Court stopped them from arresting and prosecuting the former governor.
Submit to the EFCC, Nzelu charges Yahaya Bello
