The Nigeria Police Force has detained a female police officer who was the aide-de-camp to embattled former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
The ADC was arrested alongside other police officers attached to 48-year-old Bello, and is being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Their arrests and detention followed a Thursday night order by the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, directing their immediate withdrawal from the former governor.
Senior police sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not have authorisation to comment publicly on the matter, noted that the officers were arrested on the suspicion that they aided and abetted Bello’s escape from operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, who had gone to effect his arrest at his Abuja home on Wednesday.
Egbetokun had, on Thursday night, ordered the withdrawal of all police officers attached to Bello.
The order for the withdrawal was contained in a police wireless message sighted by on Friday morning.
The document read: “CB:4001/DOPS/PMF/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.48/ 34 X ORDER AND DIRECTIVES X FOLLOWING MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM NIGPOL.
“DOPS ABUJA X BEGINS X CB:4001/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.21/462 DTO:180955/04/2024 X ORDER AND DIRECTIVES X REF MYLET NO CB:3412/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.1/36 DATED 15/04/2024 X AND MY EARLIER LET NO CB:3412/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.1/30 DATED 24/01/2024 X Nigeria police have ordered the withdrawal of all men.
“Police attached to His Excellency and former Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, should acknowledge compliance and treat with utmost importance. Please above for your information and strict compliance.”
Also, the Federal Government had, on Thursday night, placed Bello on a watch list.
In a document obtained on Thursday night, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, revealed that Bello was placed on a watchlist for conspiracy, breach of trust, and money laundering.
The Assistant Comptroller General signed the document and copied the Nigeria Customs Service, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Services, and the Director of the National Internet Agency.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had earlier declared Bello wanted for laundering the sum of N80,246,470,088.88.
The development was contained in a notice posted on the commission’s official Facebook page on Thursday, with a snapshot of the embattled ex-governor attached.
Bello had, on Thursday, failed to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja following his arraignment by the EFCC.
The embattled former governor was arraigned in absentia before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering.
The incumbent Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, had on Wednesday helped Bello, who is his predecessor, escape arrest by operatives of the EFCC.
One of our correspondents who was at the ex-governor’s residence on Wednesday observed Ododo’s arrival with heavy security at about 2:30 pm.
At exactly 4:20 pm, Ododo’s entourage drove out with Bello in the governor’s car.
About 10 minutes after the governor and former governor left, the EFCC operatives laying siege to Bello’s home retreated from the scene.
Twenty minutes after the EFCC operatives left, the policemen, DSS operatives, Counter Terrorism Unit personnel, and other security agents guarding Bello’s house also drove off.
In a statement on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale said, “Bello’s arraignment is coming on the heels of a warrant of arrest and enrollment order granted the EFCC by the court on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.”
The EFCC further noted that the commission’s attempt to execute a warrant of arrest lawfully obtained against Bello met stiff resistance on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
He added, “The security cordon around the former governor’s residence in Abuja was breached by the current Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, who ensured that the suspect was spirited away in his official vehicle.
“As a responsible law enforcement agency, the EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation, waiting for his arraignment on Thursday, April 18, 2024. It is needful to state that Bello is not above the law and would be brought to justice as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, there are fresh indications that Ododo might not turn up in Ondo State for today’s governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress as promised.
Ododo was appointed to head the seven-man Primary Election Committee set up to conduct the shadow poll in all 18 local government areas of the state, while a former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, was chosen as his secretary.
Other members include a former Oyo Deputy Governor, Iyiola Oladokun; Senator Lekan Mustapha, Adefunmilayo Tejuoso, Margaret Duru, and Dr Sani Danjuma.
The Kogi governor was, however, absent from Friday’s oath-taking ceremony, which took place at the party’s national secretariat.
Defending his principal, Ododo’s deputy, Salifu Oyibo, attributed his absence to ‘security challenges’.
He, however, insisted that the governor had promised to be available in Ondo State for the assignment on Saturday.
But, a source in the newly inaugurated primary committee, who preferred not to be mentioned, said that the governor may boycott the exercise due to the same ‘security challenges’ excuse given by his deputy.
“Ododo is not coming. Did you sincerely expect him to leave Kogi to monitor an election at a critical period when the EFCC is seeking to apprehend his mentor and predecessor? Who does that?
“Even the party knows that the promise of being in Ondo is not feasible. I am sure a last-minute arrangement is being made. Otherwise, Omo-Agege may take charge of proceeding on Saturday (today),” the source explained.
The PUNCH
