Ododo visits Yahaya Bello amidst EFCC siege

Usman Ododo, the incumbent governor of Kogi State, has paid a visit to the state’s controversial former governor, Yahaya Bello, despite a tight security presence at the latter’s Abuja residence.

Ododo arrived at his predecessors home at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, accompanied by many security personnel and youth supporters denouncing the former governor’s home invasion.

Our correspondent, who visited the residence on Wednesday afternoon, saw a large number of armed Economic and Financial Crimes Commission operatives, police officers, Department of State Security operatives, Counter Terrorism Unit personnel, and Yahaya Bello’s private security team.

On Wednesday morning, EFCC operatives laid siege on Bello’s Abuja house in Wuse Zone 4, Federal Capital Territory.

Photographs obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday show some armed EFCC personnel laying siege to the ex-governor’s home on Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

As of press time, our correspondent could not independently corroborate the reason for the siege of Bello’s residence because the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, had not responded to inquiries about the situation.

However, the EFCC had already charged Yahaya Bello, his nephew Ali, one Dauda Sulaiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu in an amended charge in March 2024 with N84 billion in money laundering.

The ex-governor’s media office issued a statement condemning the operatives’ behavior and requesting President Bola Tinubu to caution the EFCC.

According to the statement, the presence of the operatives at Bello’s residence violated the order of injunction granted on February 9, 2024, by the High Court of Justice, Lokoja Division, in Suit No. HCL/68M/2024 between Yahaya Bello and the EFCC, restraining the commission or its agents from harassing, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting him pending the hearing and determination of the substantive fundamental rights enforcement action.