Bwala asked the anti-graft agency to do its job without dramatising it unless it is doing a simulation for a movie about the agency and former governors.
Former spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation in the 2023 general elections, Daniel Bwala, has said that declaring the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is not necessary.
Bwala asked the anti-graft agency to do its job without dramatising it unless it is doing a simulation for a movie about the agency and former governors.
The agency said in a bulletin that "anybody with information as to his whereabouts should report immediately to the Commission or the nearest police station."
Reacting to the development, Bwala in a post on his X platform handle on Friday said that the EFCC failed to apply the ACJA or the method they applied at the residence of the former governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha.
EFCC V YAYA BELLO
Unless EFCC and Yaya Bello are both doing simulation for a movie about the agency and former governors, the press statement captioned “wanted” is not necessary
1. You were at his residence to effect arrest- you failed to apply ACJA or better still what you did…— D. H Bwala (@BwalaDaniel) April 18, 2024
According to Bwala, the EFCC operatives knew who came to Bello’s residence in Abuja and whisked him away while they were there but they allowed it.
Recall that in May 2022, the EFCC operatives, after laying siege to his house for six hours, broke through the roof of Okorocha’s house to arrest him.
On the other hand, the ACJA Bwala referred to, is the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, passed by the National Assembly in 2015, which made provisions for the application of criminal trials for offences established by an Act of the National Assembly and other offences punishable in Abuja.
The Act was meant to ensure that the system of administration of criminal justice in Nigeria promotes efficient management of criminal justice institutions, speedy dispensation of justice, protection of the society from crime and protection of the rights and interests of the suspect, the defendant, and the victim.
In the post he captioned, ‘EFCC V YAYA BELLO’, Bwala said, “Unless EFCC and Yaya Bello are both doing simulation for a movie about the agency and former governors, the press statement captioned “wanted” is not necessary.
“You were at his residence to effect arrest- you failed to apply ACJA or better still what you did to Okorocha at his residence.
“You knew who came and whisked him away- you allowed that.
“Both him and the incumbent governor have security detail from police and SSS who must report activities including the whereabouts of their VIPs to their commands- meaning his whereabouts is not hidden.
“You knew Police and SSS have surveillance instruments for geo-tracking and geo-locating- yet you failed to approach.
“You are asking the general public to give you information about someone you have every reason to know his whereabouts. Please do your job