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How EFCC attempted to kill Bello, Ododo in a coup – Kogi Assembly
Nothing short of the immediate removal from office of Ola Olukayode, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), will satisfy members of the Kogi State House of Assembly, who are incensed by the manner he is handling the case of Yahaya Bello, immediate past Governor of the state.
Describing Olukayode’s method as completely unprofessional, the lawmakers, conveyed their verdict via at their plenary in Lokoja, the state capital, on Monday, condemning what they described as the commission’s unprovoked attack on the Kogi State Government Lodge, as it translated to an attack on the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, and the entirety of the Kogi people.
In fact, the lawmakers, apparently to underscore their discontent, actually dealt with the matter through a motion on the floor of the House, at which members took turns to accuse the EFCC, including of an assassination attempt on the former governor and the incumbent, stressing that the persecution of Bello had gone on for too long and must stop.
The motion of urgent public importance moved by Akus Lawal, representing Ankpa 1 state constituency, and seconded by Jacob Olawunmi, representing Ijumu State Constituency, accused EFCC of being out to humiliate and possibly Bello and Ododo.
Abu Jibril of Ajaokuta state constituency, who specifically said the EFCC boss should be prosecuted for allegedly attempting to kill the governor. He called on the president to remove him immediately, stressed that the conduct showed that the chairman was incapable of leading a supposed impartial agency like the EFCC.
“The chairman has shown incompetence that warrants his removal, he said, while Bode Ogunmola, his Ogori/Magongo State Constituency (PDP), counterpart, added: “If I am in London and there is a crisis, if I get to the Nigerian House, I will feel safe. If I am in Abuja and there is a crisis, I believe that if I get to the Kogi Lodge, I will be safe.
“For the EFCC Chairman to order that fire be opened on the official lodge of the governor, he should be sacked and prosecuted. We should be told why he wants to kill our governor.”
Suleiman AbdulRazak, Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, while echoing a similar position, alleged that officials of the EFCC were begging the former governor to let them pretend as if he were arrested, adding that it was an embarrassing act, which showed that the anti-graft agency was acting a script written by some political enemies of the former governor.
Stating that President Bola Tinubu, should be notified of the assassination attempt on the duo, he said that the whole drama around them, was a show to embarrass the former governor and that the incident at the Kogi Governor’s lodge, last week, was akin to a coup.
“On the fateful night, a coup attempt was committed at the Kogi State Governor’s Lodge. We on the President to immediately remove the EFCC Chairman to save the nation from further embarrassment. The EFCC had an agenda different from the fight against corruption, which has been revealed by the way the Commission approached the issue of arrest. This must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians,” he said.
Yahaya Umar, representing Omala State Constituency, in adding his voice to the debate, said: “The unlawful conducts of the EFCC show that the intention of the chairman is not to arrest former governor, Yahaya Bello, but to ridicule the state.
“The chronology of how the event happened shows that the problem of the chairman is not with the offences being alleged, but that they want to disgrace the defendant and Kogi State in general.”
On her part, Comfort Nwuchiola Egwaba, the Deputy Speaker, stated: “The EFCC is just trying to give the former governor a bad name through their media trial. The EFCC is not sincere in this fight. It has an agenda it is pursuing and the entire people of the state, particularly the women and youths, will not accept this.”
It was also on the same day that the assembly also passed a resolution, commending Tinubu for his economic policies, which are aimed at building a strong and virile economy that will be the envy of all.
Aliyu Yusuf, the Speaker, who read out the resolution of the House, stated: “The House formally categorises the April 17 and September 18 incidents as assassination attempts on the former Governor, and by extension, a threat to the life of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
“The unprovoked attack on the Governor’s Lodge and the firing of live rounds within a diplomatic residential zone further demonstrate that the EFCC has fully marinated in a sense of its importance and power and now considers itself not only above the law but unanswerable to anyone or institution for its actions.”
“Because the EFCC Chairman has shown constantly, gross incompetence, the House has resolved that the President should relieve him of his appointment with immediate effect and replace him with a competent officer who will give Mr President’s crusade for the rule of law the needed effectiveness.”
It was another day of misery in Kwara State, when daredevil terrorists reportedly stormed Yashikira Community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, and as has been the case in many of the attacks, abducting scores of residents including women and children.
But, apparently to register their authority, the gunmen, who were said to have operated for hours without challenge from the security operatives, were said to have torched the palace of the Emir.
The attackers, which reportedly occurred late Sunday night were said to have announced their presence through heavy firing and after storming the palace of the monarch during the period, set it on fire before whisking away their victims, but a similar attempt at the police station in the community, was repelled.
While some of the residents, narrated how the spent hours without resistance, leaving behind destruction and fear in the border community, another account said the villagers were caught unawares as the gunmen invaded the town under the cover of darkness.
However operatives made up of the police and military personnel, were said to have launched a manhunt immediately for the immediate rescue of the victims, including throwing a cordon in the area as part of the mission.
“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.
This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.
In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.
He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.
“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.
“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.
The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.
“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”
Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.
Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.
Slavery is a wound on the memory of the Universal Church, Pope Leo XIV, said on Monday, as he issued a fresh apology over the participation of the the Catholic Church in the centuries-long delay in condemning slavery.
The pontiff stressed the position of the church after his predecessors had offered similar apologies, said: “For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon.”
Writing in a major text that warned about “new forms of slavery” behind the digital economy, the joined John Paul II, who denounced slave trade in 1992 before issuing a sweeping request for forgiveness for historical injustices in 2000 and Pope Francis who also repeatedly denounced contemporary forms of slavery.
In his own vein, Pope Leo, pointed out that the Church owned slaves until the Middle Ages and it also advised European sovereigns on how to justify the enslavement of “infidels.”
He stressed in “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), a document focused primarily on the rise of artificial intelligence, that it was only in the 19th century that “a formal, absolute and universal condemnation of slavery was clearly articulated.”
Hear him: “It is true that past events cannot be judged anachronistically, as though the moral criteria that matured over time had always been available. Yet neither can we deny or diminish the delay with which both society and the Church came to denounce the scourge of slavery. This constitutes a wound in Christian memory, one from which we cannot consider ourselves detached.”
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