A new report indicates that Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, has been holed up in “protective custody” of the state government since he was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the report, Bello, who handpicked Ahmed Usman Ododo as his successor, has been enjoying protection from the security agents attached to the state since the aborted attempt by the EFCC to arrest him.
The report by The Cable noted that the EFCC has issued a Red Notice on Bello to the international police organisation, also known as Interpol, based on the warrant of arrest issued by a federal high court in Abuja.
A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or surrender.
It means Bello can now be arrested in any country he visits — except Micronesia, North Korea, Palau and Tuvalu, which are not members of Interpol.
Recall that in April, the anti-graft commission declared Bello wanted over alleged N80 billion fraud.
Before the development, some EFCC operatives had barricaded his Abuja residence to arrest him. During the siege, Ododo arrived at the residence and was said to have helped the former governor evade arrest.
