The Kogi State House of Assembly has called for the dismissal of Ola Olukoyede, the Chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over what it labelled as the bungled and “unprofessional” handling of corruption allegations against former Governor Yahaya Bello.
During Monday’s plenary in Lokoja, lawmakers fiercely condemned the EFCC’s recent attempt to arrest Bello at the Kogi State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, accusing the agency of conducting an armed raid on the premises. The Assembly contended that the operation, led by Olukoyede, amounted to an assassination attempt on both Bello and the incumbent Governor Usman Ododo.
In a motion raised by Ankpa 1 representative Akus Lawal, the Assembly decried the approach taken by the EFCC in handling the N80.2 billion fraud case against Bello. Lawal described the operation as both humiliating and unconstitutional. Jacob Olawunmi, a legislator from Ijumu, seconded the motion, deepening the Assembly’s scrutiny of the anti-corruption body.
Ajaokuta lawmaker Abu Jibril went further, calling for Olukoyede’s removal and prosecution, insisting the EFCC had “tried to kill Governor Ododo” by opening fire at the Governor’s Lodge during the botched arrest. Other legislators echoed these sentiments, with Ogori/Magongo’s Bode Ogunmola questioning the legality of the operation in what should have been a secure and neutral diplomatic zone.
“If I am in London and there is a crisis, I would expect to feel safe in the Nigerian House,” Ogunmola remarked, drawing parallels to the perceived violation of diplomatic immunity at the Kogi Lodge. “For the EFCC Chairman to order that fire be opened on the official lodge of the governor, he should be sacked and prosecuted. We deserve answers.”
Majority Leader Suleiman AbdulRazak accused the EFCC of political manipulation, suggesting that officials had begged Bello to stage a fake arrest in what he deemed an embarrassing charade. AbdulRazak urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene, stating that the EFCC was working to disgrace not only Bello but the entire state of Kogi.
In an emotionally charged statement, the Deputy Speaker, Comfort Egwaba, argued that the EFCC’s actions had moved beyond justice, accusing the body of conducting a media trial against Bello. “The EFCC is just trying to give the former governor a bad name through their media trial,” Egwaba said. “The agency is not sincere in its fight against corruption and is pursuing an agenda that will not be accepted by the people of Kogi State.”
The Assembly concluded by passing a resolution urging President Tinubu to remove Olukoyede from his post immediately, warning that the EFCC had become a rogue entity, operating outside the rule of law. Speaker Aliyu Yusuf framed the EFCC’s actions as an affront to both the former and current governors, declaring the incidents of April 17 and September 18 as “assassination attempts.”
Meanwhile, in a separate twist, an NGO named Journalists for Accountability (JAC) accused Governor Ododo of obstructing justice by shielding Bello from prosecution. The group expressed its disappointment over the governor’s continued protection of his predecessor, calling on Tinubu to intervene and enforce the rule of law. In a statement, the group’s Programme Director, Kehinde Osifisan, urged the president to prevent further escalation of this “disgusting and internationally embarrassing scenario.”
The NGO also commended Olukoyede’s “professionalism” in handling the recent confrontation, emphasising that the EFCC must be allowed to pursue all corrupt officials without political interference.
