The Kogi State Government wants the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to clarify its prosecution of the former governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, and asserts that the state's funds are not missing.
The anti-corruption agency recently included Bello in a modified charge filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The commission accuses the ex-governor, along with his nephew and current Chief of Staff, Alli Bello, and one Dauda Sulaiman, of unlawfully diverting N100 billion belonging to the state in September 2015.
In response to the charge, the state's Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, criticized the amended charges as the work of some 'political actors around the presidency' who aim to discredit the former governor.
The statement also expresses belief that the agenda is unknown to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who trusted these individuals with power, hoping they would use it responsibly for the nation's benefit.
The state asserts that the charges mentioning the former governor are false, frivolous, and fabricated, reflecting a desperate attempt to tarnish his reputation and that of other government officials.
The statement mentioned how the state perceives the EFCC and its paymasters as willing to push a political agenda against Alh. Yahaya Bello.
Meanwhile, the state government has called on President Bola Tinubu to initiate a special inquiry into the commission’s activities in the state, emphasizing the state's commitment to transparency, accountability, and probity since 2016.
