Kogi gov visits Yahaya Bello's Abuja residence after EFCC raid

The Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, visited his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, who is facing challenges, including a security crackdown at his residence in Abuja.

Ododo's visit, accompanied by security personnel and protesting youth supporters, occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

According to Punch, armed personnel from various law enforcement agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), police officers, the Department of State Security, the Counter Terrorism Unit, and a private security team belonging to Yahaya Bello.

The EFCC operatives raided Bello's residence in Abuja's Wuse Zone 4 on Wednesday morning.

Photographs taken at the scene showed armed EFCC personnel surrounding the ex-governor's home on Benghazi Street in Wuse Zone 4.

As of the reporting time, the reason for the siege on Bello's home could not be independently verified.

It was gathered that the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, did not respond to inquiries regarding the situation.

Meanwhile, the EFCC sued Yahaya Bello and his nephew Ali, Dauda Sulaiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja in March 2024.

They were charged with alleged money laundering amounting to N84 billion.

Yahaya Bello reacts

Reacting to the raid by the EFCC, the former governor's media office issued a statement condemning the EFCC's actions and urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene and advise the EFCC accordingly.

The statement confirmed that the EFCC's presence at Bello's residence contradicted a court injunction issued by the High Court of Justice, Lokoja Division, on February 9, 2024.

This injunction, outlined in Suit No. HCL/68M/2024 between Yahaya Bello and the EFCC prohibited the commission and its agents from harassing, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting Bello, pending the resolution of the fundamental rights enforcement case.