A news report has indicated that Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi state, 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 reportedly handpicked 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 Yahaya Bello to Interpol, based on the warrant of arrest issued by a federal high court in Abuja.
You will recall that in April, the anti-graft commission declared Yahaya Bello wanted over alleged N80 billion fraud.
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.
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.