The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, says Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, withdrew $720,000 from the state’s coffers to pay his child’s school fee in advance.

Olukoyede spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during an interactive session with media executives.

The EFCC boss alleged that the former Kogi governor transferred money from the state coffers to a bureau de change operator, and used the money for his child’s school fee in advance.

Olukoyede added that Bello made the payment in anticipation that his tenure was gradually coming to an end.

“A sitting governor, because he knew he was leaving office, moved money directly from the government to bureau de change and used it to pay his child’s school fee in advance,” the EFCC boss said.

“Over $720,000 in anticipation that he was going to leave the government house. In a poor state like Kogi, you want me to close my eyes under the guise of ‘I’m being used’. Used by who? At this stage of my life.”

Olukoyede said he inherited the case file of the former Kogi governor, noting that he did not initiate the investigation against Bello.

On April 17, EFCC operatives laid siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja to arrest him over alleged N80 billion fraud.

While the EFCC operatives were at Bello’s residence, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, came to visit his predecessor.

Shortly after Ododo departed from the residence, the EFCC operatives also left the house.

Bello was reportedly rescued by Ododo when he departed his residence located in the Wuse Zone 4 district of Abuja.

Subsequently, the anti-graft agency declared the former governor wanted.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has also placed Bello on a watchlist.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Bello, alongside Alli Bello, chief of staff to Ododo; and one Daudu Suleiman, diverted about N80.2 billion belonging to the Kogi government.

1. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, may prosecute 300 forex racketeers trading on a peer-to-peer platform outside the financial regulations. EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, who gave this indication during an interactive programme with editors and bureau chiefs in Abuja on Tuesday, revealed that their accounts were frozen following a court order on Monday.

2. Lead British International School Abuja, which has been in the eye of the storm over viral videos of bullying involving some of its students, has been shut for three days. The shutdown order was issued on Tuesday by the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye.

3. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has filed a fresh charge at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory against the embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele. EFCC in the charge accused Emefiele of approving the printing of N684,590,000 at the rate of N18.96 billion.

4. The naira depreciated further against the United States dollar at the official market on Tuesday, closing at 1,300/$. This came as the Central Bank of Nigeria stepped up efforts to stem the tide, selling more dollars to Bureau De Change operators.

5. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, urged Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja to deny the bail application of the detained Binance Holdings Limited executive, Tigran Gambaryan. The anti-graft agency said it was too risky to admit the foreigner to bail, noting the escape of his co-defendant, Nadeem Anjarwalla from custody.

6. The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over the list of the Rivers State Caretaker Committee has taken a new dimension as the Federal High Court, Abuja, has restrained the leadership of the party from further action on the matter. This was disclosed by the National Working Committee, NWC, after its emergency meeting on Tuesday.

7. Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, has vowed to ensure that the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, is prosecuted. Speaking with select Editors in Abuja on Tuesday, the anti-graft czar said he made a direct phone call to Bello out of respect, urging him to appear before the commission and address the charges against him.

8. Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika was on Monday arrested. He is due to face charges alongside his brother, Abubakar, following an investigation into alleged N8.06 billion fraud during his tenure. Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede announced this.

9. A former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha has resigned his membership of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In a letter, dated April 23 and delivered to the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, Ihedioha, a long-time ally of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, said his decision was the right course of action.

10. A Dana Air aircraft with registration number, 5N BKI, flying from Abuja to Lagos on Tuesday morning, veered off the runway while landing at the Murtala Mohammed airport in Lagos. A statement signed by Mr Kingsley Ezenwa, Head of Corporate Communications of the airline, said all the 83 passengers and crew members onboard were unharmed.

Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, has redeployed two commissioners in his cabinet in a major shake-up since he took the mantle of leadership of the state. 

Tammy Danagogo, secretary to the state government (SSG), announced the development in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Fubara redeployed Zacchaeus Adangor, attorney-general and commissioner for justice, to the ministry of special duties.

The governor also deployed Isaac Kamalu, commissioner for finance, to the ministry of employment generation and economic empowerment.

Danagogo said the commissioners are to hand over to the permanent secretaries in their outgoing ministries, adding that deployment is with immediate effect.

Both commissioners are loyalists of Nyesom Wike, the immediate former governor of Rivers and incumbent minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

Last year, the commissioners resigned from their positions following the political feud between Wike and Fubara.

They were later reinstated after Wike and Fubara signed a peace accord facilitated by President Bola Tinubu.

Wike and Fubara are locked in a struggle for control of Rivers’ political structure.

The political crisis led to the defection of 27 state house of assembly members, who are loyal to Wike, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The lawmakers have been threatening the governor with impeachment.

The lawmakers have vetoed the governor in at least three bills after he refused his assent.