Yahaya Bello Still Wanted, It's A Lie He Reported - EFCC Says ~ OsazuwaAkonedo #Kogi #Bello #EFCC #Yahaya https://osazuwaakonedo.news/yahaya-bello-still-wanted-its-a-lie-he-reported-efcc-says/18/09/2024/ #Breaking News Published: September 18th, 2024 Reshared: September 19, 2024 4:03 am Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has described as fake
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00:00Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has described as fake media reports and
00:06the reports posted on the personal Facebook page of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya
00:12Belowichag indicated that the wanted former governor reported himself to the Anti-Corruption
00:17Commission, adding, the suspect is not in its custody.
00:21EFCC in a press release few minutes ago, said, Media reports today that a former governor
00:28of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Belowichag, is in the holding facility of the Economic and Financial
00:34Crimes Commission, EFCC, is incorrect.
00:38The Commission wishes to state that Belowichag is not in its custody.
00:43Belowichag, already declared wanted by the Commission for alleged N80.2 billion Naira's
00:48money laundering charges, remains wanted with a subsistence warrant for his arrest.
00:54Dene Oyewole, the head, media and publicity, EFCC stated, We had reported that the former
01:02governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Belowichag on Wednesday reported himself to the headquarters
01:07of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nigeria Anti-Corruption Agency that
01:14has declared the former governor wanted over alleged corrupt practices while he was in
01:18office as Kogi State Governor, an action that has led the suspect to go into hiding for
01:23months.
01:24The fugitive decision of Yahaya Belowichag has sparked reactions among members of the
01:29public for months, with some, at certain intervals, do make mockery of the Anti-Corruption Commission
01:36of not being able to locate and arrest the fleeing Kogi State former governor who was
01:41said to be hiding inside the Kogi State Government House.
01:45A statement issued by the Spokesperson of the former governor indicated that the former
01:50governor decided to go out of hiding based on advices from family and political associates
01:57on the ground that he has nothing to fear.
02:00Former Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Belowichag, honored the invitation
02:06of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
02:10This decision was made after due consultations with his family, legal team and political
02:16allies.
02:17The former governor, who has great respect for the role of law and constituted authority,
02:23had, all the while, only sought the enforcement of his fundamental rights in order to ensure
02:29due process.
02:31The case has been before a competent court of jurisdiction, and Alhaji Yahaya Belowichag
02:36had been duly represented by his legal team at every hearing.
02:41It is important for the former governor to now honor the invitation of the EFCC to clear
02:46his name as he has nothing to hide and nothing to fear.
02:50The former governor believes firmly in the efforts of the administration of President
02:54Bola Emetenebu to place Nigeria on the path of sustainable economic development, and supports
03:00the fight against corruption in the country.
03:04It is unrecorded that he was the first governor of Kogi State to put in place an anti-corruption
03:09mechanism to check graft and ensure that the resources of the state work for the people
03:14of the state.
03:15He was accompanied to the EFCC headquarters by high-profile Nigerians.
03:21It is our hope that the commission will be as professional as necessary and respect his
03:26fundamental rights as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
03:31Details of his engagement with the operatives of the anti-graft agency will be disclosed
03:36later.
03:37Ohia Michael.
03:38Director, Yahaya Belowichag office stated, We had earlier in July reported that the Federal
03:45High Court sitting in Abuja has sent the lawyers of the former Kogi State governor,
03:50Yahaya Belowichag to the Legal Practitioners' Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, for investigation
03:55following their actions in handling the case of N80.2 billion Naira's alleged fraud committed
04:01by the former governor.
04:03According to new statement from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the
04:09court asked the LPDC to investigate the lawyers, who are senior advocates of Nigeria, for misconduct
04:16for failing to produce Yahaya Belowichag in court.
04:20The news release reads, In court below those, Justice Emeka Uwait of the Federal High Court
04:25sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, torn down an application by a former governor
04:32of Kogi State, Yahaya Belowichag seeking a stay of proceedings and stalling of his arraignment
04:37in the alleged N80.2 billion Naira's money-laundering charge instituted against him by the Economic
04:42and Financial Crimes Commission.
04:45Also, the court has asked the Legal Practitioners' Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, to investigate
04:52Below's counsel, Abdulwahab Mohamed, S.A.N. and Adeola Adedipi, S.A.N., for professional
04:59misconduct for reneging on their undertakings to produce the former governor for arraignment.
05:05The court had on June 27, 2024, slated Wednesday for ruling on an application by the EFCC's
05:12lead counsel, Kenny Pinheiru, S.A.N., praying the court to hold Mohamed and Adedipi for
05:18contempt of court at the resumed session of the court on Wednesday.
05:23Mohamed tried frantically to persuade the court to allow stay of proceedings arguing
05:27that appeals have been entered at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.
05:32Both prosecution and defense counsels held the court in fiery arguments over the ruling.
05:38Pinheiru submitted that Below's lawyers were only trying to, arrest, the ruling meant for
05:44Wednesday on their failed undertakings to produce their client for arraignment.
05:49He cited several authorities to establish the fact that since the matter brought before
05:54the appellate court had not been determined, the trial court should not hold proceedings
05:59on the matter before it.
06:01Ruling on the EFCC's application to hold Mohamed and Adedipi for contempt of the court
06:06in view of their failure to honor the undertaking's demand to produce the former governor for
06:11arraignment, Justice White asked the Legal Practitioners' Disciplinary Committee, LPDC,
06:17to investigate the two senior lawyers for professional misconduct.
06:21He stressed that Below's lawyers failed to bring their client for arraignment against
06:26their assurances and undertakings before the court.
06:29Ordinarily, I would have taken this matter heedle, but I would prefer to refer the matter
06:35to the Legal Practitioners' Disciplinary Committee to propose necessary recommendations
06:40and necessary sanctions against the counsels, he said.
06:45The judge also initially refused to grant the application of withdrawal of services
06:49to Below by Adedipi.
06:52However, after passionate appeals by Pinheiru, he granted it but directed Adedipi to make
06:58a formal application before the court to that effect.
07:02Meanwhile, Abdul Wahab said he would try to bring Below to court on the next adjourned
07:07date, though without taking any undertaking to that effect.
07:11Pinheiru informed the court that the prosecution on its part would make the necessary arrangement
07:17to bring the former governor to court as the EFCC was making efforts to liaise with other
07:22sister security agencies to extract the defendant from the Kogiste government house where he
07:28is hibernating.
07:29Justice Umayyad thereafter adjourned the matter till September 25, 2024 for arraignment.
07:37Below is facing prosecution alongside his nephew, Ali Below, Daouda Suleiman and Abdulsalam
07:43Hildu on 19 count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of 80,246,470,089
07:52nairas and 88 kobos kobo only.
07:55Sasuwa Onnedo bringing you the news in a more digital way.