Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have barricaded the Abuja residence of Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi state.

The anti-graft agency has restricted movement in and around the house situated on Benghazi street, Wuse Zone 4, in Abuja.

The development comes about a month after the EFCC named Bello in an amended money laundering charge filed against Alli Bello, chief of staff to Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi.

Ali, and one Daudu Suleiman are the two defendants in the 17-count amended charge. The EFCC alleged that the suspects diverted about N100 billion belonging to the Kogi government.

‘NO FUNDS MISSING’

Responding to the EFCC charge, the Kogi government said funds belonging to the state did not go missing under the former governor.

Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi commissioner for information and communications, said in a statement that the former governor is “squeaky clean”.

He asked the EFCC to desist from mentioning the former governor’s name in its “ongoing persecution”, adding that some political actors are bent on destroying Bello.

“As a subnational in the Nigerian nationhood, we wish to express our utmost respect for agencies set up to perform specific functions towards the greatness of Nigeria,” Fanwo said.

“The desperation of the EFCC to hastily and for glaring political reasons, hound the immediate past Governor on their corruption list is unfortunate and speaks volume on how we reward altruistic leadership in our nation.

“For the records, we wish to make it clear that Kogi’s funds are not missing and that the EFCC is trying so hard to find what is not missing.

“We therefore call on the EFCC to desist from mentioning the name of Kogi State in its ongoing persecution, orchestrated by some political actors in and around the Presidency bent on destroying the image of Alh. Yahaya Bello and Kogi State.

“The amended charges in which the name of the former Governor was mentioned are false, frivolous, fictitious and far from the truth. They are cooked-up charges that signpost their desperation to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it.”

Rafiu Ibrahim, who represented Kwara south in the senate from 2015 to 2019, is dead.

Ibrahim died on Wednesday morning, aged 57, after a brief illness.

He was chairman of the senate committee on banking, insurance and other financial institutions in the 8th national assembly, and lost his bid to retain the Kwara south seat in the 2019 and 2023 elections.

AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Kwara state governor, said he “received with shock and profound sadness reports of the death of Senator Rafiu Ibrahim of the Peoples Democratic Party after a brief illness”.

In a statement signed by Rafiu Ajakaye, his chief press secretary, the governor sent his “heartfelt condolences to the family of the late senator, the people of Ojoku in Oyun Local Government Area, and the Peoples Democratic Party on this sad development”.

“This shocking development again reminds everyone of the inevitability of death for all human beings and the fact that it could come unannounced for anyone,” the statement reads.

“Governor AbdulRazaq prays to Allah to admit the senator to al-Jannah Firdaus and give comfort to his family members, political associates, and followers.”

The Kano state anti-corruption and public complaints commission says it has brought fresh charges against Abdullahi Ganduje, national chair of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Appearing on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, on Tuesday, Muhuyi Magaji, chair of the anti-graft agency, said the commission is investigating a case where N51 billion was allegedly diverted by the Ganduje administration.

Ganduje was governor of Kano from 2015 to 2023.

Magaji said during the twilight of the Ganduje administration, N1 billion was withdrawn from the state’s accounts for rehabilitation of roads, but that the sum was allegedly diverted.

“What is happening now is a tip of the iceberg,” he said.

“As I am talking to you, we are investigating a case whereby N51.3 billion local government funds were directly taken from the government coffers (and) sent to other individuals, and we traced it to people.

“We have piled a series of cases. We have a case whereby N1 billion in April last year (2023) was removed from government coffers under the allocation of renovating 30 roads in the metropolis and it was taken away, sent to Bureau de Change.

“We have a case of N4 billion whereby it was sent from the consolidated revenue account of Kano state to an agricultural company. All these cases are before the court.”

The chair said the commission is not driven by politics and is dedicated to the fight against corruption.

“Incidentally, His Excellency, the former governor, was the one that appointed me in 2015 to head the agency and I was re-appointed in 2020 for another five-year term,” he said.

“Basically, we have an institution in the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) that is devoid of political activities and dedicated to fight corruption, check maladministration and fight injustice.”

It was learnt that a formal invitation will be extended to the former governor.

When TheCable contacted Edwin Olofu, Ganduje’s spokesperson, he said his principal had no comment on the development.

On Monday, executives in Ganduje’s APC ward in Kano suspended the former governor from the party over corruption allegations.

Soon after, however, the APC in Kano nullified the suspension and handed the executives behind the move a six-month suspension from the party.