By John Ikani
Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi State, has turned himself in to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Officials at the anti-corruption agency revealed that Bello arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, escorted by his personal security team.
“Yahaya Bello is at our Headquarters now, he came alongside his private security details,” a source confirmed.
Unlike his controversial visit in September, Governor Usman Ododo did not accompany Bello this time. Insiders, who requested anonymity, explained that Ododo’s absence marked a shift from their earlier attempt to face the EFCC together.
Bello may remain in EFCC custody overnight, as one of his court cases is set for hearing at the FCT High Court on Wednesday.
In mid-September, Bello and Ododo made an unusual attempt to approach the EFCC, which sparked a major standoff.
The commission refused to take Bello into custody during that visit but later moved to arrest him at the Kogi State Government Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, where he was reportedly staying under Ododo’s protection.
The confrontation escalated, leading to an hours-long exchange of gunfire between EFCC operatives and security personnel linked to Bello. Amid the chaos, Bello reportedly fled the scene in a convoy led by Ododo.
Bello is facing allegations of laundering N80 billion in state funds and has failed to honor multiple court summons since April.
In a new case filed in late September, the EFCC accused Bello of embezzling over N110 billion from Kogi State’s treasury during his tenure as governor.
Efforts to get comments from EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale were unsuccessful, as his phone lines were reportedly switched off.
