The Comedy of Yahaya Bello and the EFCC

A little over a year ago when the ex-Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), I beat my chest and told a friend of mine that Bello will never be convicted of any crimes. He argued against and a wager followed. It goes without saying that I wn the bet days ago after Bello turned up at the offices of the EFCC and walked out without as much as an interrogation. This is Nigeria. Haha.

Firstly, the manner in which he reappeared after, first, going into hiding was like the return of a King. Not only did he audaciously show face, he came in the company of the reigning Governor of Kogi state, Ahmed Usman Ododo, and his full government convoy. It was hours after that Bello’s media director, Ohiare Michael, informed us that the anti-graft agency told his principal to leave. Astonishing, but not really not surprising. Those who’ve lived in this country as long as I have or even longer than that are familiar with this smokescreen and sweeping-under-the-carpet style of overlooking crimes done by top people.

I guess, what did surprise me about the whole comedy circus on display here was the explanation given by the EFCC for not interrogating Bello: They explained that there are protocols that exist for sitting Governors with immunity and thus, inferred, that by virtue of being accompanied by his successor, Bello enjoyed some sort of extended immunity which handicapped the agency from doing the needful. It’s ok to laugh now; even I did. Lol.

So, in a nutshell, the EFCC hunted a man for a year plus, got the rare opportunity to seize him when he walked right through their doors, but got terrified by the immunity shadow lurking around Governor Ododo! OMG! Nigeria is a funny place to be in. The things you hear on a daily just makes you open your mouth wide in utter disbelief. If justice were a person living in Nigeria, it would have been buried by now in a lonely grave somewhere.

Well, for those still being baffled, let me remind you that the once disgraced ex-Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen, is presently in court seeking for his seized properties to be handed back to him? Oh yes he is and by all indications, he will get back those properties. This is a man who falsely declared his assets and hid away his shady incomes only to be found out and punished by means of asset forfeiture. Now, he has the temerity to even appear in a law court to ask for those assets—assets he cannot account for. Yet again, this is Nigeria.

Only recently, the same EFCC arraigned Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky on charges bordering on mutilating the Naira note. The transgender/crossdresser (I honestly don’t even know what he/she actually is) celebrity even spent time in jail for that offence. Now, the same agency could not apprehend Yahaya Bello and start court proceedings against him for his financial crimes. Does the law appeal differently to Bobrisky, yet too risky to be applied to a giant like Bello? Is that the message the EFCC is passing across? It sure looks like it.

This is coming at a time when the same agency is threatening banks and its top officials of possible jail term if found guilty of bank fraud. If Bank officials can go to jail for fraud, or, at the very least, get arraigned for it, why can’t Bello’s fraud charges get him a date in court? These are many questions this latest embarrassment EFCC just put the nation in poses.

Never in the history of Nigeria have the masses’ confidence in the Judiciary and justice process been lower. In fact, that confidence is nearing nonexistence. Why? The reasons are as broad as daylight: You can’t seem to get justice in Nigeria except where it involves the common man. The rich boys seem to play by different rules.

It all reminds me of a song Nigerian music legend, African China, once sang: “Rich man wey thief money, we no dey see their face for crime fighters….” Back then, the Police had this show they titled ‘Crime Fighters’ that showed several criminal elements in the country being arrested and charged to court for their crimes. The show was, initially, applauded, until people soon caught up with the farce: Why didn’t any rich man ever feature in chains in this show? Why all the arrests were always being meted out to the poor man alone became a pertinent question. People soon rubbished the show and it lost its relevance and went into extinction.

Read Aso: Is Wike Losing The Fight Against Fubara in Rivers?

It appears our crime fighters, EFCC, are like the show of yesteryears—locking up small fishes and trembling at the sight of the big fishes like Bello. My question is this, though: Are there other unseen forces behind this Yahaya Bello show of shame? Are the EFCC telling us half-truths here? Are their hands tied by the powers that be or, by the “ogas at the top”? Is there more to this than meets the eyes? I’m at a loss here and desperately trying to make an excuse for the anti-graft agency as a way of still preserving my naivety to the idea that they actually know what they are doing. My heart would really love to believe that even though my head says no.

Whatever be their reason, though, for this stunt Yahaya Bello just pulled, the EFCC have lost massive credibility and are, presently, the laughing stock of the whole continent. In China and other Asian countries, they are known to lock up past Presidents who stole public funds talk less of a mere ex-Governor. Oh! I forgot and got carried away again. This is Nigeria!

It’s a shame, really, and I sure hope the Presidency steps in to intervene in this nonsense for the sake of justice at least. There must be a statement to rectify this shame and restore some sort of pride in our justice system. Letting this slide will be the same as telling us that there are no laws governing Nigeria anymore. In that case, Nnamdi Kanu should be released; Boko Haram should not be viewed as criminals and Yahoo boys (internet fraudsters) should be permitted to walk the streets in pride, after all, Yahaya Bello is their role model. What is good for the geese, is, after all, good for the gander.