The convener, Congress of Ebira Youths for Justice and Fair Play, Comrade Kabiru Usman, has cautioned the Senator representing Kogi Central at the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over her alleged involvement in the profiling, attempted arrest and prosecution of the former Governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Comrade Usman gave the warning on Monday at a press conference held in Ogaminana, Adavi local government area of Kogi state.
He said the attempt to arrest and prosecute Bello has a political undertone and involvement of key political actors especially from the central senatorial district of the state, warning that “Nothing must happen to Yahaya Bello and his children in the ongoing harassment and persecution in the hands of EFCC”.
“I want to sound a word of caution to our sister and our Representative at the red chambers of the national Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. It is important for the Senator to choose her fight carefully no matter the energy at her disposal. We want to remind her of an Ebira adage which says that no one uses his/her oil to cook toad no matter the abundance of oil at her or his disposal.
“She should note that the political difference between her and former Governor Bello is domestic and internal affairs of our land. It’s therefore disturbing to see that she is using her past political differences with the former governor to align with enemies of Ebiraland who are using EFCC as a canon folder to achieve their clandestine motives.
“Natasha should know that no ethnic group in Kogi can love her more than her own. Our senator needs to draw an example from her governorship contest in 2019. Those who are urging her to keep attacking Yahaya Bello and by extension Ebira interest now went the directions of their own candidates and left her in the cold. Let her know therefore that her support for the traducers of Ebiraland in this Yahaya Bello’s persecution has dire political consequences for her now and in the future” he warned .
Usman added that various legal authorities have spoken on the illegalities of the EFCC that suggest that the matter against Yahaya Bello is more of politics than the criminal prosecution.
“It’s evidently clear from all that has happened that EFCC is being used as a smokescreen by Yahaya Bello’s Political enemies. No evidence of formal invitation extended to him by the commission rather the commission chairman told the world during his infamous press conference that he called the former governor and asked him to come to the headquarters of commission through the back door. And he expected Yahaya Bello to submit his neck to him just like that?
“EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede pulled the rug off the commission’s feet when he went further to allege that Yahaya Bello took $720,000 of Kogi money to pay his children’s school fees in advance at the American international School Abuja.
“Nothing, I repeat that
nothing must happen to Yahaya Bello and his children in this ongoing harassment and persecution in the hands of EFCC” he added.
The group urged President Ahmed Tinubu to immediately call the EFCC boss to order. They said “if the anti corruption fight is to be taken seriously under his watch. The president will also be doing the nation and his party, APC a lot of good if he looked inward and sanctioned any of his aides using the institutions of government to feather his or his political nest”.
He said the attempt to arrest and prosecute Bello has a political undertone and involvement of key political actors especially from the central senatorial district of the state, warning that “Nothing must happen to Yahaya Bello and his children in the ongoing harassment and persecution in the hands of EFCC”.
“I want to sound a word of caution to our sister and our Representative at the red chambers of the national Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. It is important for the Senator to choose her fight carefully no matter the energy at her disposal. We want to remind her of an Ebira adage which says that no one uses his/her oil to cook toad no matter the abundance of oil at her or his disposal.
“She should note that the political difference between her and former Governor Bello is domestic and internal affairs of our land. It’s therefore disturbing to see that she is using her past political differences with the former governor to align with enemies of Ebiraland who are using EFCC as a canon folder to achieve their clandestine motives.
“Natasha should know that no ethnic group in Kogi can love her more than her own. Our senator needs to draw an example from her governorship contest in 2019. Those who are urging her to keep attacking Yahaya Bello and by extension Ebira interest now went the directions of their own candidates and left her in the cold. Let her know therefore that her support for the traducers of Ebiraland in this Yahaya Bello’s persecution has dire political consequences for her now and in the future” he warned .
Usman added that various legal authorities have spoken on the illegalities of the EFCC that suggest that the matter against Yahaya Bello is more of politics than the criminal prosecution.
“It’s evidently clear from all that has happened that EFCC is being used as a smokescreen by Yahaya Bello’s Political enemies. No evidence of formal invitation extended to him by the commission rather the commission chairman told the world during his infamous press conference that he called the former governor and asked him to come to the headquarters of commission through the back door. And he expected Yahaya Bello to submit his neck to him just like that?
“EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede pulled the rug off the commission’s feet when he went further to allege that Yahaya Bello took $720,000 of Kogi money to pay his children’s school fees in advance at the American international School Abuja.
“Nothing, I repeat that
nothing must happen to Yahaya Bello and his children in this ongoing harassment and persecution in the hands of EFCC” he added.
The group urged President Ahmed Tinubu to immediately call the EFCC boss to order. They said “if the anti corruption fight is to be taken seriously under his watch. The president will also be doing the nation and his party, APC a lot of good if he looked inward and sanctioned any of his aides using the institutions of government to feather his or his political nest”.
