July 08, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has alerted INTERPOL in six African countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Sudan to watch-list former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
A report by The Nation, said the anti-graft agency made the deal with INTERPOL at the weekend following credible intelligence.
THEWILL reports that the whereabouts of the former Kogi governor, who is facing a 19-count charge of alleged money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds of about N80.2 billion, have remained unknown since April when he evaded arrest in Abuja.
While the Federal High Court, Abuja has adjourned until July 17, for Bello to take his plea, the former governor has consistently failed to appear before the trial Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, on June 13th and 27th.
He had also through his lawyers faulted the jurisdiction of the Abuja High Court to hear the charges against him by the EFCC. At the last hearing, he filed an application for the transfer of his trial to the Federal High Court, Lokoja.
However, an EFCC source told The Nation that “Ahead of the next hearing of the case, EFCC has activated many options, including taking a concrete action to watch-list Bello in North Africa. We are aware of a botched exit to Morocco via Cameroon. We are determined to stop him from going into exile.
“From Singapore, the EFCC Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, was in Tunisia where he delivered a paper at a session on illicit financial flows. Thereafter, he had a meeting with all the Heads of INTERPOL in North Africa on the intelligence on the ex-governor. He formally asked INTERPOL to place Bello on Red Alert in all North African countries and it was accepted.
“The watch-list has taken immediate effect. He will be arrested in any part of North Africa. We took this step because we suspect that he had been bidding time not to be available for arraignment.
“We expect Bello to be in court to prove his innocence. EFCC has to do its work to avoid bad precedent.”
