Fleeing governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has perfected a plan to flee the country to a North African country, multiple sources confirmed to SaharaReporters on Saturday.
SaharaReporters learnt that Bello, 48 years old who is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for over N80billion fraud, plans to flee to the North African country where one of his wives presently resides and manages their “investments.”
A family member further revealed that Bello actually possessed two passports which are of the North African country and one Arab nation where he also allegedly has multi-million dollars investments.
“He is planning to go to Morocco. He also has investments in Dubai. Under Bello’s administration, apart from Okene local government and probably two or three local government within his Senatorial district, that enjoy projects like hospital of 50 beds respectively, no other local government does”, the source revealed.
“We challenge his media team to point out if in the remaining 16 local governments, there was a single borehole for water, road project or any housing scheme construction work done by Yahaya Bello administration in the last 8 years apart from housing estates constructed by his predecessor and landmark properties.
“Kogi State was enslaved under Yahaya Bello due to occultic powers and unreported killings due to fear,” another source added.
“Former governor, Yahaya’s administration was a disaster, characterised by mismanagement, stealing, misplacement of priorities, misappropriation, corruption, nepotism, killings and oppression.”
“The other option is that Bello is set to travel out of Nigeria as he has prepared for his bail in court with millions of dollars,” another source added.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Nigerian police detained the female police officer who served as the aide-de-camp to Bello as well as other security details for aiding his escape from the EFCC operatives in Abuja.
The ADC was arrested, along with other police officers assigned to 48-year-old Bello, and they are being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Their arrests and incarceration came after the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, issued an order on Thursday night requiring their immediate departure from the former governor.
“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 had said.
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).”
SaharaReporters had reported on Thursday night that the police withdrew the security details attached to Yahaya Bello.
The order for the withdrawal was contained in a Police Wireless Message obtained by SaharaReporters.
On Wednesday, some EFCC operatives barricaded Bello’s Abuja residence.
However, the current governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, intervened to prevent the arrest of the former governor of the state by the EFCC operatives.
Ododo’s team had escorted Bello out of the location in the governor’s vehicle.
Bello was also absent in court earlier on Thursday when the EFCC arraigned him.
His arraignment came after a warrant of arrest and enrolment order was granted to the EFCC by the court on Wednesday.
Subsequently, the agency declared Bello wanted for an alleged financial crime to the tune of N80.2billion.
The commission said in a bulletin that “anybody with information as to his whereabout should report immediately to the Commission or the nearest police station.”
SaharaReporters earlier reported how EFCC asked all security agencies to place Bello on their watch list to prevent him from leaving the country “through any land, air or sea borders.”
Granting the request and circulating the EFCC directive, the Nigerian Immigration Service in an internal circular seen by SaharaReporters directed its area and zonal commands to arrest Bello if seen.
The circular stated that the former Kogi governor was under investigation and there was a suspicion that he might leave the country to evade investigations.
