The Kogi State House of Assembly has called for the removal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, over the prosecution of the immediate past governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, for alleged money laundering.
The lawmakers declared that no money belonging to Kogi State was missing during Bello’s eight-year tenure.
“There is no money missing in Kogi coffers to warrant such accusation and prosecution,” the lawmakers said during plenary in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, on Monday, September 23, 2024.
The EFCC had filed a 19-count money laundering charge against Bello before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
However, two members of the House, Akus Lawal who represents Ankpa 1, and Jacob Olawumi representing Mopamuro, in a motion of public importance, declared that the turn of events concerning Bello’s trial had become “worrisome”.
Lawal said the EFCC was out to “humiliate” Governor Usman Ododo and Bello.
Olawumi, who seconded the motion, stressed that the Kogi State Government had always published the Audited Financial Reports of the State.
Aide: EFCC officers stormed Kogi govt lodge to arrest Yahaya Bello
“The Kogi House of Assembly can categorically say that no money is missing,” he said.
Other lawmakers, who spoke on the issue, said the EFCC has “a different agenda”.
“That the agency has a different agenda has been revealed by the manner it handled the issue of Bello’s arrest,” the lawmakers argued.
Yahaya Umar representing Omala State Constituency, in his contribution, said the anti-graft agency was out to ridicule Kogi State.
“The chronology of the events around Bello’s arrest shows that he is being targeted,” he said.
The lawmakers further frowned at EFCC’s siege to the Kogi State’s Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, in an attempt to arrest Bello on April 17 and last Wednesday, September 18.
The lawmakers accused the EFCC of attempting to assassinate Ododo and Bello by allegedly firing gunshots during the attempt to arrest the former governor.
“The chairman has shown incompetence that warrants his removal,” a member of the House, Abu Jibril, said.
The lawmakers stressed that the EFCC should always observe the rule of law, urging Olukoyede to give “Mr President’s crusade for rule of law the needed effectiveness”.
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