Legal luminary Femi Falana has weighed in on the recent attempt by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. Bello has claimed the EFCC is disobeying a court order, but Falana provides a different perspective.
According to Falana, a Kogi State High Court ruling did not prevent the EFCC from pursuing charges against Bello. In fact, the court specifically instructed the EFCC to file any criminal charges against Bello in the appropriate federal court.
Falana argues that the EFCC followed proper procedure. The EFCC filed charges of money laundering exceeding N80 billion against Bello in the Federal High Court. Following this action, the Federal High Court issued an arrest warrant for Bello to appear for arraignment.
Falana emphasizes that both the EFCC’s filing of charges and the Federal High Court’s arrest warrant comply with the original Kogi State High Court order. This clarifies the situation surrounding Bello’s arrest attempt and dispels any notion that the EFCC is acting outside the law.
It’s important to note that Yahaya Bello faces allegations of fraud involving N80.2 billion. Additionally, the Nigerian Immigration Service has placed him on a watchlist, and his security detail has been withdrawn by the Inspector General of Police.
In conclusion, Femi Falana assures the public that the EFCC is acting within the legal framework established by the Kogi State High Court. The following steps – filing charges and issuing an arrest warrant – are all part of the due process that must be followed in such cases.
