News
Police detain Yahaya Bello’s ADC, security details
• Former security aides may face orderly room trial for not arresting ex-gov
• EFCC appeals order stopping Bello’s arrest, seeks stay of execution
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, according to Saturday PUNCH, 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 to our correspondent 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.
“The ADC and the other police details attached to Yahaya Bello have been arrested and detained.
“They were arrested on the order of the IG, on the suspicion that they aided and abetted the former governor’s escape from the EFCC on Wednesday,” one of the sources told our correspondent in a telephone conversation on Friday.
Another source said, “Yahaya Bello’s female ADC and other police officers attached to him were brought to the command this morning, and they’ve been detained for aiding and abetting (the governor’s escape).”
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 our correspondent 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 exclusively obtained by our correspondent 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 document read, “I am directed to inform you that the above-named person has been placed on a watch list. Suffice to mention that the subject is being prosecuted before the Federal High Court Abuja for Conspiracy, Breach of Trust and Money Laundering vide letter Ref; CR; 3000/EFCC/LS/EGCS.1/TE/V 1/279 dated April 18, 2024.
“If seen at any entry or exit point, he should be arrested and referred to the Director of Investigation, or contact 08036226329/07039617304 for further action.
“Please, accept as always the Comptroller-General’s warmest regards and esteem.”
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.
The notice read, “The public is hereby notified that Yahaya Adoza Bello (former Governor of Kogi State), whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with an alleged case of Money Laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo).
“Bello, a 48-year-old Ebira man, is a native of Okenne Local Government of Kogi State. His last known address is: 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission.”
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 PUNCH had earlier reported how the incumbent Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, 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, in a statement on Thursday, Yahaya Bello’s media office accused the EFCC of persecution, while accusing the anti-graft agency of filing the same charges in three different courts.
The statement read in part, “The attention of the Media Office of Yahaya Bello has again been drawn to another chapter in the series of the ongoing persecution of the former Governor by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“Having failed woefully to achieve their motive of national embarrassment with the critical questions that greeted their earlier allegations that the former governor converted over N80bn Kogi State funds to personal use in September 2015, even before he became governor, masterminds of this unending persecution have hurriedly repackaged their script, this time dragging the name of the EFCC further in the mud.
“In a miscalculated bid to satisfy their paymasters at all costs, some desperate politicians have pushed the EFCC to approach another Federal High Court in Abuja, with the same set of questionable allegations without waiting for the determination of the two preceding cases they’ve filed in two different courts simultaneously.
“In this particular one, they tried to correct their initial blunder by saying that about N80bn was now stolen in February 2016, arguably less than three weeks after he assumed office for the first time as Governor of Kogi State on January 27, 2016.
“Looking at the curious and endless scenarios of duplicated charges, cross-charges, counter and frivolous charges, it has become crystal clear that the whole onslaught is nothing but a desperate political witch-hunt of the immediate past governor.
“We want to draw the attention of the President to the fact that the abuse of court processes and prosecutorial powers by the EFCC is assuming a dangerous dimension that the head of the commission might not even have paid attention to. We still want to assume that he is being misled into political persecution, rather than diligent prosecution by bad eggs within the system, working with criminals masquerading as politicians.
“The desperation to nail a man that has done nothing but to raise the bar of governance in his state and provide visible dividends of democracy to all, irrespective of religious or ethnic leaning, has beclouded the rational thinking of masterminds and pushed them into a consistent pattern of raising extremely frivolous and indefensible allegations against their target.” (The PUNCH)
…Ransoms, 4 AK-47 rifles and ammunition recovered
…Gov Mbah: You can’t get away with your crimes in Enugu
Security forces in Enugu State have successfully apprehended three perpetrators of the August 2, 2026 kidnap attack on St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Inoyi-Affa, Udi LGA, Enugu State, and also recovered ransoms during the operations.
This was even as one of the kidnap suspects was neutralised in a gun duel during the joint operation of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Army, Police, Enugu State Forest Guard, and others, which also saw to the recovery of four AK-47 rifles, seven magazines and 133 rounds of ammunition from the hideouts of the kidnapping syndicate.
Fielding questions from newsmen during the parade of the criminals at the state headquarters of the DSS in Enugu Monday evening, Governor Peter Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, added that the remaining two of the three victims of the August 2 attack, Seminarian Lawrence Igbo and Mr. Emmanuel Onwudi, had also regained their freedom.
Ransom recovered from the kidnappers
Mbah also revealed that ransom deployed as a strategy was fully recovered, noting that security agents tracked down the criminals by deploying the state’s hi-tech security assets.
He hailed the DSS, Army, Police, Forest Guards and other security agencies in the state, adding that the victims had equally identified the apprehended criminals as their abductors.
The governor assured the people that his administration would continue to prioritise and invest in the security of their lives and properties.
A member of the kidnap gang neutralized
“There was one fatality in this process. It was one of the criminals that died in the process of apprehending them. Usually, criminal elements will not want to be apprehended easily without a fight, but our people were ready, and we have one fatality, while the others are here now as you could see; and they will face the full wrath of the law.
“We made it very clear that if criminality becomes your venture, Enugu State is not the location to do that business; that we will pursue you, we will make sure we bring you to justice, and that was why we put the robust security architecture across the state, working in collaboration with the security forces to ensure that Enugu is uncomfortable for anybody that plans criminality, and you’re seeing that very clearly.
“We are intentional in investing in and organising our security architecture to prevent crime. But if there is a breach, you can run, but cannot hide for long. We must get you. You can’t commit these crimes in Enugu State and get away with it. No way,” he said.
He also warned locals who collude with the criminal elements or serve as their informants, vowing to come after them also.
“We will find you also, just as we have found these people, and we will prosecute you as part of this evil operation and this evil syndicate.
“Wherever you are, know that investigation is ongoing and that this government will track you down, and you will pay for your crimes in planning havoc on our citizens. So wherever you are, we are still coming for you,” he stressed.
He paid special tributes to the security forces for their cooperation and gallantry.
“We also want to very highly commend all the security agencies: the DSS, Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police, the Enugu State Forest Guard, the military services, others for being very instrumental in some of the work that was done, and continue to do in Enugu State,” he concluded.
News
Widespread Traffic Violations: Enugu CP orders strict enforcement of traffic laws, arrest and prosecution of offenders
The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has directed the immediate enforcement of all existing traffic laws and regulations across the State following what he described as the rampant disregard for traffic regulations by motorists.
The CP said the development has resulted in avoidable gridlock, disruption of traffic flow, road crashes, loss of lives and destruction of property.
The directive, according to the state police spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, ‘is in line with the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc (+), NPM, directive on the nationwide enforcement of traffic laws to restore order on Nigerian roads and safeguard lives and property.
“Accordingly, the Commissioner of Police has tasked the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, the Command’s Legal Officer and the State Traffic Officer to ensure the professional enforcement of the directive through the arrest and prosecution of offenders in accordance with extant laws and regulations.”
He, however, cautioned officers against any infringement on the rights and dignity of citizens while carrying out the enforcement.
CP Giwa urges all motorists, including police officers and other security personnel, to familiarise themselves with and strictly obey traffic laws to avoid arrest and prosecution.
He emphasized hat strict compliance with traffic regulations remained essential to reducing congestion, preventing road crashes, and ensuring the free flow of traffic across the State.
Suspected kidnappers have abducted an unspecified number of passengers travelling in three commercial buses along the Itobe-Achigili-Anyigba highway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The incidents, according to local sources, occurred in two separate attacks within a two-hour interval on Sunday at locations believed to be close to each other along the highway.
The first attack reportedly occurred at about 4 pm between Ojuwo-Ajengo and Mamerebo settlements, when a Hummer bus belonging to a popular mass transit company, said to be travelling to Abuja from the eastern part of the country, was intercepted by the gunmen.
The second incident took place around 6 pm between Ojodu and Ojuwo-Olijo village, where a Sharon bus and a Sienna commercial vehicle, both reportedly on inter-state journeys, were attacked.
Sources said the gunmen barricaded the highway, forcing the vehicles to stop before ordering the occupants into the surrounding bush.
A local source said two mobile phones were recovered from the grass around one of the vehicles and subsequently handed over to security operatives.
The source said the first bus, identified as a Hummer belonging to Peace Mass Transit with fleet number 2838, was intercepted around 4 pm.
The two other vehicles, identified as a Sharon and a Sienna with registration numbers Kogi ERE 138 AE and BB 362 MKA, respectively, were reportedly ambushed around 6 pm.
“The armed men left with all the occupants of the three buses. The exact number of people abducted from each vehicle is not yet known and may only be established through the passengers’ manifests,” another source said.
Following the attacks, a joint security operation involving personnel of the Nigerian Army, police, local vigilantes and hunters was reportedly deployed to the area to search for the victims and track down the perpetrators.
When contacted for confirmation, the spokesperson for the Kogi State Police Command, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said she would confirm the incident and respond. ( Nigerian Tribune)
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