The Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has, forthwith, withdrawn all police officers attached to Yahaya Bello, the former Governor of Kogi State.
The order for the withdrawal was contained in a police wireless message seen by journalists today; which is coming after drama had ensued on Wednesday when officers of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the former Kogi governor foiled the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s attempt to arrest him at his Abuja residence.
Bello’s altercation with the EFCC began on Wednesday when the operatives of the anti-graft commission laid siege to his Benghazi street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja residence in a bid to arrest him ahead of his scheduled arraignment for money laundering on Thursday.
A group of armed operatives, identified as “Special Forces,” also intervened to prevent his apprehension by EFCC operatives.
The current governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, is alleged to have intervened in the prevention of the arrest of his predecessor following the reported escortion of ex-governor Bello out of the location in his vehicle.
Recall that The Federal Government on Thursday put the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on its watchlist to prevent him from escaping from the country.
The Nigerian Immigration Service, in a circular dated April 18, 2024 and signed by Assistant Comptroller of Immigration DS Umar, for the Comptroller-General, Kemi Nandap, placed the former Kogi governor on the service’s watchlist and alerted the police and the Department of State Services to effect his arrest.
This came after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared Bello wanted through a post on its official X page in connection to an alleged case of money laundering to the tune of 80.2bn naira after failed attempts to arrest him in Abuja on Wednesday. The Commission went further to warn members of the public that it is a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the commission from carrying out their lawful duties.