The recent claims suggesting that Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, is being subjected to a media trial by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, have been dismissed.
In a press conference, Olukoyede revealed that Bello had withdrawn $720,000 from a government account to pay for his child’s school fees and mentioned that the former governor invited the EFCC to interrogate him in his village. He also expressed his commitment to resign if he fails to apprehend Bello and proceed with the investigation.
Disagreeing with Olukoyede, Prof. Nwoke Chijioke, a former Vice President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, criticized the press conference as an inappropriate and biased trial approach. He stated, “The EFCC chairman’s recent press conference was unwarranted and constitutes an unfair trial. These issues stem from what can be labeled as a media trial.”
In response to the backlash, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale defended Olukoyede’s actions, stating that the Chairman’s revelations did not breach any regulations. Oyewale explained, “The Chairman’s statements on Tuesday were not new information as they were already public knowledge. Additionally, all relevant documents have been filed and presented in court. Therefore, everything shared by the Chairman was well within his legal rights as the EFCC’s Chief Executive Officer.”