
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, has requested the INTERPOL in three North African countries; Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, to place Yahaya Bello, The Former Governor of Kogi State, on its watchlist.
According to EFCC, the decision was based on reliable intelligence.
Egypt, Libya, and Sudan, are also other countries where the ex-governor is being placed on watchlist.
Sources from the agency had said that there are lots of options in dealing with Bello, which includes storming Kogi State Government House in Lokoja, where the he is presumed to be hiding, but it is not limited to that.
The Watchlist was engaged ahead of Yahaya Bello appearing before the Federal High Court, in Abuja, on the 17th of July,2024.
EFCC said: “Ahead of the next hearing of the case, EFCC has engaged many options, including taking a concrete action to watch-list Bello in North Africa.
“We are aware of a botched exit to Morocco via Cameroon. We are determined to stop him from going on exile.
“From Singapore, the EFCC Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede was in Tunisia where he delivered a paper at a session on illicit financial flows. Thereafter, he had a meeting with all the Heads of INTERPOL in North Africa on the intelligence on the ex-governor.
“He formally asked INTERPOL to place Bello on Red Alert in all North African countries and it was accepted.
“The watch-list has taken immediate effect. He will be arrested in any part of North Africa.
“We took this step because we are suspecting that he had been bidding time not to be available for arraignment.
“We expect Bello to be in court to prove his innocence. EFCC has to do its work to avoid bad precedent.”