‘I Will Resign If Bello Escapes Prosecution’ – EFCC Chairman Threatens

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has threatened to resign if Yahaya Bello, the immediate governor of Kogi state is not prosecuted.

The chairman made the disclosure on Tuesday during a press briefing with journalists in Abuja.

Recall THE WHISTLER has reported that Bello has been evading arrest by the Commission despite a siege laid by the EFCC last week to arrest him.

The commission had gone ahead to file a 19 count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N80.2bn at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yet, Bello refused to show up at the court.

Making his stance known, the EFCC chairman swore to follow the prosecution of Bello to the logical conclusion.

He also vowed that all those who obstructed the arrest of the former governor would be brought to justice.

Olukoyede also told the journalists that the EFCC has frozen over 300 accounts linked to illicit foreign exchange (FX) trading.

He said: “We got an order to freeze those accounts. Imagine what would have happened if we didn’t seize those accounts.”

He also explained that Nigerian banks lost over N8bn to internet fraud in 2022.

He said more than 71 per cent of companies operating in Nigeria were victims of cybercrime in 2022, adding that the anti-graft agency’s fight against internet fraud is about saving the nation’s future.

He therefore disclosed that EFCC has created a cybercrime research centre where convicted internet fraudsters, known in local parlance as Yahoo Yahoo boys, will be trained to channel their knowledge to positive aspects of the society.