EXCLUSIVE: Yahaya Bello stuck in Kogi governor’s custody as EFCC issues global Red Notice

Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, has been holed up in the “protective custody” of Kogi state government since he was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), TheCable understands.

Bello, who handpicked Ahmed Usman Ododo as his successor, has been enjoying protection from the security agents attached to the state since the aborted attempt by the EFCC to arrest him.

TheCable understands that the EFCC has issued a Red Notice on Bello to the international police organisation, also known as Interpol, based on the warrant of arrest issued by a federal high court in Abuja.

A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or surrender.

It means Bello can now be arrested in any country he visits — except Micronesia, North Korea, Palau and Tuvalu, which are not members of Interpol.

BOTCHED ARREST, 19-COUNT CHARGE

In April, the EFCC declared Bello wanted over alleged N80 billion fraud.

Prior to the development, some EFCC operatives had barricaded his Abuja residence to arrest him.

During the siege, Ododo arrived at the residence and was said to have helped the former governor evade arrest.

Reacting to the incident, Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), warned against obstructing the EFCC in the discharge of its operations.

Subsequently, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) placed Bello on a watchlist while the police headquarters ordered the withdrawal of officers attached to the former governor.

Ola Olukoyede, EFCC chairman, would later allege that Bello withdrew $720,000 from Kogi’s coffers to pay his child’s school fees in advance.

The anti-graft agency also filed a 19-count charge against him over alleged money laundering.

However, the arraignment was stalled due to the absence of the former governor.

In May, Abdulwahab Mohammed, counsel to Bello, told the court that the former governor’s whereabouts remain unknown and that he was nurturing some safety concerns.

The anti-graft agency had recently asked Interpol operatives in three North African countries — Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria — to add Bello to their watchlist.

With the latest Red Notice, it is now a risk for him to visit virtually any country.