By Ayomide Otitoju
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has said that the prosecution of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello remains before the courts, stressing that the anti-graft agency has fulfilled its mandate in the matter.
Olukoyede recalled that in April 2024 he publicly pledged to resign if he failed to personally oversee the conclusion of investigations into Bello’s case. He noted that while some Nigerians have raised concerns over the pace of the trial, the matter is now firmly in the hands of the judiciary.
“The case is still in court,” Olukoyede said during an exclusive interview. “I have three cases against Yahaya Bello. Am I the judge who will determine conviction? I have done my work. I have fulfilled my mandate.”
He added that the EFCC had thoroughly investigated the former governor and filed multiple charges, insisting that the cases were making progress. “Nigerians must know that and encourage us to do more,” he said.
Bello is currently facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged property fraud amounting to ₦110 billion, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu. He is also standing trial before the Federal High Court on a separate 19-count charge involving alleged fraud and money laundering totalling ₦80.2 billion.
According to the EFCC chairman, one of the allegations against Bello involves the transfer of $720,000 from the Kogi State Government’s account to a bureau de change shortly before he left office, allegedly to pay his child’s school fees in advance.
“A sitting governor, knowing he was about to leave office, moved money directly from government to a bureau de change and used it to pay school fees in advance—$720,000,” Olukoyede said. “In a poor state like Kogi, you want me to close my eyes to that?”
He dismissed claims that the prosecution was politically motivated, insisting that the EFCC’s actions were guided strictly by evidence and the law.
