Afrigather Tons of of activists, on Saturday, stormed the streets of Lagos to protest alleged underground strikes by some opposition figures in Kogi State in addition to different perceived political enemies to unleash terror on Yahaya Bello, the fast previous governor of Kogi State, utilizing the platform of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC).
The activists, who addressed a press convention and likewise staged a rally, condemned calls by a bunch referred to as Zero Corruption Agenda in collaboration with one other group, Kogites United In opposition to Corruption, for the EFCC to disregard court docket orders guaranteing Bello’s basic human rights and impact an arrest regardless of the continued court docket course of.
Whereas elevating the alarm that there have been speculations going round that some determined politicians have been “even allegedly planning to make use of gunmen wearing pretend navy uniforms to assault Yahaya Bello’s residences”, they referred to as on the police and different related safety businesses to be vigilant to forestall anarchy within the nation.
In keeping with them, many Nigerians already suspect that the alleged “countless assault on the previous governor, his relations and even harmless youngsters by the EFCC in probably the most unprofessional method, regardless of revelations that confirmed he was truly protected by the regulation, have deep political undertones.
Segun Abegunde, who briefed the press on behalf of the CSOs, underneath the joint umbrella of Residents Motion In opposition to Lawlessness, insisted that the desperation by some opposition figures and Yahaya Bello’s political enemies to cover underneath the purported struggle towards corruption to name for the arrest of a person who has a court docket order for his basic human rights to be protected and who’s already in court docket with the EFCC, “nearly confirms this insinuation of an evil plan towards him by some politicians, utilizing the EFCC platform.”
“This isn’t tough to detect, having seen the composition of the so-called Kogites who made these curious calls, even in London. The movies uncovered their ethnic leaning as they have been talking the language of the aggrieved politicians in Kogi State,” the activists mentioned.
They alleged that opposition political events have been utilizing the EFCC to struggle political battles in Kogi State and referred to as on the ruling Occasion to be vigilant.
“The tribunal judgement on the final governorship election in Kogi State is arising on Monday Could twenty seventh. The desperation by the opposition to have Yahaya Bello in custody has elevated exponentially as that date approaches. There appears to be a willpower to both preserve him out of circulation whereas they attempt to steal APC’s mandate within the state or to utterly get rid of him for no matter causes solely recognized to them.
“Additionally, contemplating the best way and method the EFCC chairman has taken the Yahaya Bello matter so private, it’s obvious {that a} Yahaya Bello within the custody of the EFCC will not be going to be secure in any respect,” they said.
Abegunde mentioned, “The courts are there to mediate between authorities and residents and between two or extra contending pursuits and the court docket’s intervention is sacrosanct till overturned by a superior Courtroom.
“The rallies, each house and overseas, calling for jettisoning of the due strategy of regulation and for the EFCC to arrest Yahaya Bello, court docket orders or no court docket orders, sponsored by the opposition and his political enemies inside, should not solely reckless however harmful to our polity and completely condemnable.
“Such calls have now given credence to the allegations that some highly effective political forces are after Yahaya Bello, not due to corruption allegations, however that they’re truly after his life. What have the navy acquired to do with the EFCC {that a} group can be calling for navy intervention to arrest a single citizen in a case the place he’s already a defendant?”
Emphasising the pressing want for President Bola Tinubu to name the anti-graft physique to order earlier than it’s too late, the CSOs identified that the so-called Kogites name for the fee to make use of navy power to arrest the previous governor, even when his date to seem in court docket had already been fastened, was not solely reckless however harmful to the nation’s polity.
“There’s even a hypothesis going round now, which can be credible, that some determined politicians are even allegedly planning to make use of gunmen wearing pretend navy uniforms to assault Yahaya Bello’s residences.
“We name on the police and different related safety businesses to be vigilant. We additionally name on President Bola Tinubu to instantly name EFCC to order. The Fee appears to have provided its platform for enemies of the previous governor to execute their plans towards him and the President should wade in, particularly with the information on floor that EFCC has displayed flagrant disregard for the rule of regulation, all the best way, in dealing with this matter.
“We name on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to, as a matter of urgency, name the EFCC to order with a view to staying off political interference. The Fee ought to focus strictly on its anti-corruption mandate by staying throughout the enabling legal guidelines that established it. The EFCC shouldn’t be recognized with selling anarchy, it doesn’t matter what.
“The court docket processes must be allowed to run their course with out disruption. That’s when democracy and rule of regulation may be mentioned to be functioning in our nation,” the activists burdened.
