A former presidential media aide, Reuben Abati on Thursday says the drama carried out by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over attempt to arrest immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello is unnecessary.
Abati, an anchor with Arise Television argued that Bello should have been arrested when he presented himself to the anti-graft agency at its headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to him, the EFCC was wrong by allowing Bello to go as if he has no case and then storming the Kogi Government House in Abuja in the evening to arrest him.
“On the drama at the EFCC headquarters yesterday. Just to make the point that the EFCC had declared Yahaya Bello wanted. They placed a red alert on him with INTERPOL. And then the man walked him after all that drama to say ‘ I am here arrest me’. And then one of the reports said he was asked to go back home because the way he presented himself did not follow protocol”.
“I would have expected that if a man is declared wanted, in law, in ethics and morality, if he shows up, you will arrest him. You will immediately take him into custody. But we have been told in another story about breaching of protocol”.
“And then all that drama yesterday evening that people were saying the EFCC now stormed the Kogi Government House, I don’t think all that was necessary. If the man has been alleged to have questions to answer with regards to N80.2bn as they have alleged, he should have been taken into custody”.
“To turn him back is another way of saying maybe the man does not have a case to answer. The drama could have been avoided. But we hope that beyond this, we will get to the basic issues and the court would continue with its process”.
