Yahaya Bello is clean — government funds not missing—Kogi govt

The Kogi government says funds belonging to the state did not go missing under Yahaya Bello, its immediate past governor.

On Thursday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) named Bello in an amended charge filed against Alli Bello.

Alli, chief of staff to Usman Ododo, current governor of the state, and one Daudu Suleiman, are the two defendants in the 17-count amended charge.

The EFCC alleged that the suspects diverted about N100 billion belonging to the state in September 2015 — about four months before Bello assumed office as governor.

Reacting in a statement on Friday, Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi commissioner for information and communications, said the former governor is squeaky clean.

He also called on the EFCC to desist from mentioning the former governor’s name in its “ongoing persecution”, adding that some political actors are bent on destroying Bello.

“As a subnational in the Nigerian nationhood, we wish to express our utmost respect for agencies set up to perform specific functions towards the greatness of Nigeria,” the statement reads.

“The desperation of the EFCC to hastily and for glaring political reasons, hound the immediate past Governor on their corruption list is unfortunate and speaks volume on how we reward altruistic leadership in our nation.

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“For the records, we wish to make it clear that Kogi’s funds are not missing and that the EFCC is trying so hard to find what is not missing.

“We therefore call on the EFCC to desist from mentioning the name of Kogi State in its ongoing persecution, orchestrated by some political actors in and around the Presidency bent on destroying the image of Alh. Yahaya Bello and Kogi State.

“The amended charges in which the name of the former Governor was mentioned are false, frivolous, fictitious and far from the truth. They are cooked-up charges that signpost their desperation to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it.

“The intention was to sensationalize the whole scenario and promote a media war against the former Governor and other officials of Government.”

The Kogi government also called on President Bola Tinubu to order a special probe into the matter.

It added that it will continue to support the anti-corruption crusade of the federal government.