The Nigeria Police Force has detained a female police officer who served as the aide-de-camp to former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. This action followed an order by the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, directing the immediate withdrawal of police personnel attached to Bello. The officers, including the ADC, are currently being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja. Their detention is linked to suspicions that they aided Bello's escape from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives seeking his arrest at his Abuja home.
Egbetokun's directive to withdraw police officers from Bello was revealed in a police wireless message, indicating that the move was in response to allegations of aiding and abetting the former governor's escape. The Federal Government has placed Bello on a watch list for conspiracy, breach of trust, and money laundering, according to a document from the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service. The document stated that Bello is being prosecuted before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In a separate development, the EFCC declared Bello wanted for laundering the sum of N80,246,470,088.88 and posted a notice on its official Facebook page. Bello failed to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja following his arraignment by the EFCC. This came after Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State reportedly assisted Bello in evading arrest by EFCC operatives at his residence. Ododo was absent from the oath-taking ceremony of the seven-man Primary Election Committee he was appointed to lead for the APC governorship primary election in Ondo State, citing security challenges.
