iDeemlawful—The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stated that former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, remains innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law.
The Commission clarified that Bello’s trial is still in progress and that determining guilt or innocence rests solely with the court, not the EFCC.
Speaking on Monday during an appearance on Arise Television’s *Morning Show*, the EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwuajeren, explained that criminal prosecution in Nigeria is a gradual process that requires the presentation of witnesses and evidence before the court.
He said the EFCC is actively prosecuting the case by calling witnesses and tendering evidence, emphasising that the final decision lies entirely with the judiciary.
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Uwuajeren noted that under the Nigerian Constitution, any individual standing trial is presumed innocent until proven guilty, adding that Bello’s standing within his political party has no connection to the charges brought against him.
According to him, the EFCC has no involvement in party politics and remains focused solely on diligently prosecuting the case before the court.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to ensuring justice for both the prosecution and the defence, stressing that due process has been followed throughout the proceedings.
He said: “One thing we need to understand how criminal prosecution works in Nigeria. It takes some time before you prove some of these challenges in court. Like, as I speak to you, the trial is still ongoing before the courts.
“We are presenting witnesses, we have presented evidence. It is not the commission that is going to decide the matter. It’s the court that will decide the matter. All we need to do is to follow the prosecution how is going on in the court, and ensure at the end of the day, both the prosecution and the defense get justice.
“But having said that, Yaya Bello, as we speak, is under trial, but the Constitution presumes that anyone who is under trial to be innocent until that case is proven. So whatever is happening to him within his party, that is the party affairs. It has nothing to do with the EFCC. It has nothing to do with the charge that we are filed before the court.
“So the responsibility that we owe Nigeria is to be faithful to the charges that we have filed against him in the court, and we are prosecuting those charges religiously. Nothing has happened, nothing has gone amiss in terms of that and we are committed to doing that.
“In terms of Yaya Bello, whatever the party does to him, that is the party’s business. EFCC is not a political party. We are not interested in politics. EFCC is a law enforcement organization, and we are enforcing the law, so to speak.”
Bello, who served as governor of Kogi State from January 2016 to January 2024, is currently facing trial on 19 counts of money laundering involving the alleged diversion of N80.2 billion from Kogi State Government accounts.
The EFCC is also prosecuting him in a separate corruption case before the FCT High Court over the alleged diversion of N110 billion belonging to the Kogi State government.