Story by Iyiola Ayomide
. Ex-Kogi gov transferred from EFCC custody to prison facility at night for security reasons
. Bello to spend Christmas, New Year behind Kuje prison walls
In obedience to the orders of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday night, handed over former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, to the Kuje prison authorities.
This is to enable Bello to continue his detention pending the approval of his bail request.
Bello was handed over to the Kuje Correctional facility authorities after he had spent two weeks with the anti-graft agency that grilled him over N100billion money laundering cases allegedly perpetrated by his administration in Kogi State.
It was gathered that Bello’s handing over process to the correctional officers was quite different from that of past defendants who were similarly moved from the EFCC custody to the prison.
While the transfer processes of the previous defendants, ordered by the court to be handed over to Kuje Prisons, were done easily and in the daytime, in Bello’s case, his transfer and handing over process were done at night because of the public interest attached to the former Kogi governor’s case before the court.
Impeccable sources at the EFCC, who were privy to Bello’s handing over to the prison authorities, hinted on Wednesday that the anti-graft agency could not carry out the court order during the day to avoid any untoward issues.
He disclosed that the anti-graft Agency had to transfer and hand over Bello to the prison authorities on Tuesday evening because of the sensitivity of his matter and the security implication.
He added that security more officers were deployed and mobilized to ensure that Bello’s handing over processes were done peacefully and without any hitches.
The former Kogi governor was handed over to the Kuje prison authorities after his bail application was denied by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over N110 billion money laundering.
After the ruling, the court adjourned the case brought by the EFCC against Bello to January 29, 2025, for continuation of the legal proceedings as well the former Kogi governor’s bail application.
With Tuesday’s court ruling, Bello will be observing the 2024 Christmas and 2025 New Year celebrations behind the high walls of the correctional facility.
Recall that Bello was arrested and detained by the EFCC in November, after months of hide-and-seek with the anti-graft agency, inspite of various invitations and courts summons.
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