Di drama wey follow di attempted arrest of former govnor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, by di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, na still big talking point for Nigeria.
Some policemen and a crowd of oga Bello supporters been block EFCC operatives as dem lay siege for di domot of Yahaya Bello house for Wuse zone 4 Abuja to arrest am.
Di drama last for almost 10 hours, as di former govnor wey im nickname na ‘White Lion’ dey holed up inside im house until di incumbent Kogi State govnor, Ahmed Usman Ododo come carry am comot.
Bello now na wanted person as EFCC declare am wanted on Thursday, and di Nigeria Immigration Service place am on travel watchlist.
Dis no be di first time wey di EFCC dey dramatically arrest former Nigerian govnors wey dem accuse of corruption.
Di normal procedure na for di anti-corruption agency to invite pesin wey get allegation on top im head, if di person answer, di EFCC fit detain am or grant am administrative bail pending wen dem go carry di mata go court. But e no dey always be like dat.
We go back to three oda times wey drama happen as EFCC bin wan arrest former govnors.
‘EFCC, I am here’ – Fayose
Even wen e still dey enjoy immunity cover as a sitting govnor of Ekiti State, South-West Nigeria, Ayodele Fayose bin don know say di EFCC go swoop on am immediately im tenure finish.
So, on October 16, 2018, a day before di swearing in of im successor, Kayode Fayemi, Fayose hand ova di state of affairs to di head of civil service of di state and travel to Abuja to hand imsef ova to EFCC.
E do am in a very dramatic fashion as e wear t-shirt wey dem write on top ‘EFCC I’m here’, and e share fotos of imsef arriving di EFCC headquarters on Twitter.
Fayose also carry backpack wey contain im bedclothes and pillow case as im tok say e dey ready for di EFCC to detain am as long as dem want.
Notable politicians like Nyesom Wike, wey bi govnor of Rivers State at di time, Fani Kayode wey be former aviation minister, a senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome also follow am go EFCC office dat day.
A few days later, di EFCC arraign Fayose for court on an 11-count charge of money laundering and stealing money wey reach N6.9 billion.
Di mata still dey go on for court till date.
‘Dem wan come shoot me’ – Okorocha
Rochas Okorocha, a former govnor of Imo State for South East Nigeria, na anoda high profile individual wey di EFCC bin arrest in a dramatic fashion.
On May 24, 2022, EFCC operatives cordon off Okorocha house wey dey for Maitama area for Abuja, and afta dem don wait for hours, dem begin break down di doors to arrest am by force.
As dem dey hit di doors, Okorocha go live on Facebook from im living room to tell im followers wetin dey happen.
“EFCC dey here now wit some gunmen. Dem don break all my bulletproof doors, na di last one dem dey hit now. I no know wetin dem wan come do, dis na my last appearance. You dey hear di noise now, dem wan come shoot, and soo…” E no finish di statement as e stand up and enta inside.
Di EFCC eventually arrest Okorocha dat day as dem break in through im ceiling after dem don throw tear gas to scata im supporters wey bin gada to stop dem from entering.
Dem later arraign Okorocha before Justice Inyang Ekwo of di Federal High Court, Abuja on a 17-count charge of tiffing money wey pass N2.9 billion. Di case still dey on till date.
Airport arrest – Obiano
Di dramatic arrest of di former Govnor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, happen for di Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on March 16, 2022.
Dat same day, Obiano bin don attend di swearing-in ceremony of im successor, Chukwuma Soludo, but according to di EFCC, e wan run go America to avoid arrest.
Di EFCC bin don write to di Nigeria Immigration Service for Novemba 2021 to put Obiano for travel watchlist and to inform dem anytime e wan travel.
Na around 8.30pm wey EFCC personnel gbab Obiano as im wan check into flight to japa go Houston, USA.
Obiano spend some days for EFCC custody before dem later release am. However, for January dis year, dem arraign di former govnor for court on accuse say im tiff over N4 billion naira. Di court case still dey go on before Justice Inyang Ekwo of di Federal High Court, Abuja.
Wetin di law empower EFCC to do
Di Attorney General of di Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, tok say “di EFCC get statutory powers to invite any pesin of interest to interact wit dem in di course of dia investigation into any mata regardless of status”.
“I dey encourage anyone wey EFCC or any oda agency invite, to immediately toe di path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism wey go dey put our kontri for bad light before di rest of di world.”
Also, Kemi Pinheiro, wey be senior advocate of Nigeria and one of di counsels to di EFCC explain say section 12 of di Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), allow law enforcement agents to break down any premises wia a suspect dey hide.
Section 12(2) of ACJA tok say di police “fit enta di house or place and search am for di suspect to be arrested, and in order to enta di house or place, (di police) fit break open any outer or inner door or window of any house or place, weda dat of di suspect to be arrested or of any oda person” if di pesin no gree allow police to enta.
- Immigration place Yahaya Bello on watchlist afta EFCC declare am wanted
- Pikin of former Imo state govnor Rochas Okorocha share tori of EFCC raid
