*Lawyer: EFCC Can Use Force To Arrest Him, If…
THE Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has advised embattled former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to turn himself in to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He said in a statement on Thursday, April 18, that the EFCC has statutory powers “to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigation into any matter regardless of status.”
Bello, who is facing N82billion money laundering charges, has not appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, where he was expected to take his plea.
Bello had thwarted an attempt to arrest him at his Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, residence by EFCC operatives, following an order of arrest warrant against him by the court, as after several hours stand-off, Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo showed up and later took him away in his official vehicle.
But in a statement later, Fagbemi condemned the former governor’s refusal to submit himself for trial, describing the stand-off between the EFCC and Police personnel attached to the former governor as a matter of “grave concern.”
He reiterated that the EFCC has statutory powers “to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigation into any matter, regardless of status.”
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting.
“I, therefore, encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation, instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism that can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world.”
Similarly, a media aide to President Bola Tinubu, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, advised Bello to submit himself to the EFCC, saying he has no where to run to.
Onanuga, in a post on his X handle, following EFCC’s declaration of Bello wanted over an alleged N80.2billion corruption, said Bello should submit himself to the EFCC and get a good lawyer.
“Yahaya Bello, where will you run to? It’s better you submit yourself to the EFCC and get a good lawyer,” he counselled.
Meanwhile, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kayode Adeluola, said with a substantive court order, the EFCC could use force to arrest Bello.
Speaking on a television programme, Adeluola said irrespective of the conflicting order, EFCC can use force if it has a court order justifying Bello’s arrest.
“I think EFCC is trying to achieve its legal aim without breaking law and order. Many supporters of Yahaya Bello are outside there, but still the law has to be obeyed.
“If there is a substantive court order that can bend the order stopping EFCC from arresting Yahaya Bello, I still believe that the Commission has the right to use force to arrest him.
“If there is a court order saying he should be apprehended and signed by a Judge, the EFCC has the authority to use any kind of force.
“We have two conflicting court orders. What should we do? Those who participated wrongly should also be brought to book.”
