Lawyers, activists warn against violation of Yahaya Bello’s rights

A coalition of 300 lawyers and human rights activists has strongly condemned the alleged violation of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s fundamental rights. The Anti-Corruption and Transparency Network (ACTN) described the authorities’ actions as “intimidation, harassment, and clampdown” on Bello’s rights. The group which made this known at a press in Abuja on Thursday […]

A coalition of 300 lawyers and human rights activists has strongly condemned the alleged violation of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s fundamental rights.

The Anti-Corruption and Transparency Network (ACTN) described the authorities’ actions as “intimidation, harassment, and clampdown” on Bello’s rights.

The group which made this known at a press in Abuja on Thursday morning expressed concern over the EFCC’s invasion of the Kogi State Abuja government lodge in a “gestapo manner,” firing live ammunition, despite Bello voluntarily submitting himself to the commission earlier.

In a statement co-signed by Barr. Real M. Dennis and Johnson Ochefu, its convener and co-convener, the coalition said such approach has no place in Nigerian laws.

The group emphasised that Bello, as a politically exposed person, still has rights that must be protected and respected by any law-abiding organisation.

“We are here as a coalition of about 300 reputable lawyers and human rights activists to address the press on the ugly developments regarding the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in its case with the immediate past Governor of Kogi state, H.E Alhaji Yahaya Bello,” the statement said.

“As a coalition that has keenly followed this case, we were pleased that Alhaji Yahaya Bello voluntarily submitted himself to EFCC, who hitherto declared him wanted, to clear his name.

“We were however perturbed that the EFCC who had posted the pictures of Bello on all their platforms as a wanted person and even went further to notify the International Police (Interpol) to help bring Bello to book had same Bello appear before them yesterday but refused to attend to either interrogate him or arrest him as they deemed fit.

“According to his media office, they rather asked him to go that they would get in touch with him, only to turn around again and invade the Asokoro government lodge of Kogi state in a gestapo manner, firing live ammunitions in a bid to arrest someone who was in their own office earlier the same day.

“As informed Nigerians and human rights activists, we wish to condemn this intimidation, harassment and clamp down on the fundamental rights of former Governor Yahaya Bello by the EFCC. This action of the EFCC has no place in our laws.

“Despite being a politically exposed person, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has his rights and these rights must be protected and respected by any law abiding organization. The EFCC which was established with the mandate to enforce the law must not reduce itself to a lawless institution without regards for the rights of Nigerians or defendants.

“It is this exact action of the EFCC that tends to justify the insinuation in many quarters that the case against Bello is not a fight against corruption but a grand conspiracy by political enemies and detractors of Yahaya Bello to silence the former governor and whittle his growing political influence.

“While we do not want to think in this line, we wish to urge the EFCC to be guided by the rule of law and professionalism while handling this matter.

“There is no justification to fire live ammunitions at a man who willingly surrendered to the commission just few hours earlier. The excuse that they didn’t act because a sitting governor accompanied him is even more embarrassing.

“The same EFCC went to invade the sitting governor’s lodge at night. This has never happened before in our Democracy and it casts a big dent on the image of the current administration.”

The coalition, therefore, urged the EFCC to be guided by the rule of law and professionalism while handling this matter, emphasising that Bello is innocent until proven guilty and deserves respect as a former governor who served his state for eight years.