…prefers EFCC investigators come to his village to see him…
By Ola Kay
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has revealed how he made personal efforts to invite the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Adoza Bello to respond to allegation of his involvement in money laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo).
The anti-graft agency boss made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday, as he addressed media executives at the corporate eadquarters of the EFCC.
Mr. Olukayode said that one of the steps taken include having a telephone conversation with former governor Yahaya Bello, with opportunities to present himself for interrogation by the EFCC’s investigators.
Mr. Olukayode said: “On my honour, I put a call to him to honour him as a former governor. He said, I can’t come, claiming that a certain lady has surrounded the EFCC with over 100 Journalists to embarrass or intimidate him and all that stuff.
” I said if that is your fear, I will make you come directly to my floor. I will invite my operatives to interrogate you in my own office. What could be more honourable than that?
“Do you know what he said? ‘ Can’t they come to my village?’ My Director of Investigations also sent a message to him.”
The EFCC’s boss expressed worry over the report of larceny available to the EFCC concerning the former governor: “A sitting governor, because he knew he was going, he moved money directly from the government’s account to a bureau de change to pay his children’s school fees in advance, $7,2000 , in anticipation that he was going to leave government house.”
The EFCC Boss seized the occasion to inform that, the anti-graft body in its bid to ensure the safety and stability of the foreign exchange, FX, market, succeeded in unearthing a new fraudulent scheme called P to P, peer to peer trading scheme. The platform, according to him, is operating outside the official banking and financial corridors,with more than 300 (three hundred) accounts linked to it already frozen by the EFCC.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Commission to the economic growth and development of the country, promising that the EFCC would not relent in the exercise of its mandate.
He also revealed that the Commission had recovered more than N120billion from fraudsters within six months and secured more than 1300 convictions.
Olukayode urged Nigerians to be more dedicated to the nation, insisting that patriotic Nigerians should offer more support to the EFCC because the Commission is crucial to the growth and development of Nigeria.
He concluded saying that, ‘’If you support the EFCC, you are working for the growth of Nigeria. We all have stakes in the wellbeing of our nation.”
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