The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, says Yahaya Bello, ex-governor of Kogi, withdrew the sum of $720,000 from the treasury of the state to pay for his child’s school fee in advance.
Olukoyede made this pronouncement in Abuja on Tuesday when having an interactive session with media executives.a
He alleged that the Kogi erstwhile governor transferred money from the state coffers to a bureau de change operator, which he used to pay for his child’s school fee in advance.
The anti-graft agency chief also said that Bello made the payment in advance, knowing that his tenure was gradually coming to an end.
“A sitting governor, because he knew he was leaving office, moved money directly from the government to bureau de change and used it to pay his child’s school fee in advance,” Olukoyede said.
“Over $720,000 in anticipation that he was going to leave the government house. In a poor state like Kogi, you want me to close my eyes under the guise of ‘I’m being used’. Used by who? At this stage of my life.”
The EFCC boss further said he inherited the case file of the former Kogi governor, noting that he wasn’t the one that commenced the investigation against Bello.n
Recall that EFCC operatives had on 17, April laid siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja in order to arrest him over alleged N80 billion fraud.
While the EFCC men were at Bello’s residence, Usman Ododo, the incumbent governor of Kogi, came to visit his predecessor.
Not long after Ododo left the residence, the EFCC operatives also departed.
Bello was reported to have been rescued by Governor Ododo when he left his residence situated at the Wuse Zone 4 district of Abuja.
Afterwards, EFCC declared Bello wanted.
In the same vein, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) also placed him (Bello) on a watchlist.
The EFCC alleged that Bello, with Alli Bello, who is the chief of staff to Ododo; and one Daudu Suleiman, diverted about N80.2 billion belonging to the Kogi state government.