The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stated that former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, remains innocent until a court of law determines otherwise.
Wilson Uwuajeren, Director of Public Affairs at the EFCC, made the clarification during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, stressing that Bello’s trial is still ongoing and that only the court has the authority to decide his guilt or innocence.
Uwuajeren said the commission is focused solely on prosecuting the charges before the court and has no involvement in party politics or internal political matters.
“One thing we need to understand is how criminal prosecution works in Nigeria. It takes some time before you prove some of these charges in court. Like, as I speak to you, the trial is still ongoing before the courts,” he said.
“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.”
He added that the EFCC is committed to ensuring fairness to all parties involved in the case.
“All we need to do is to follow the prosecution as it is going on in the court, and ensure at the end of the day that both the prosecution and the defence get justice,” Uwuajeren said.
The EFCC spokesperson further emphasized that Bello enjoys the constitutional presumption of innocence while the trial continues.
“But having said that, Yahaya Bello, as we speak, is under trial, but the Constitution presumes that anyone who is under trial is innocent until the case is proven,” he said.
“So whatever is happening to him within his party, that is the party’s affairs. It has nothing to do with the EFCC. It has nothing to do with the charges that we have filed before the court.”
Uwuajeren said the commission’s responsibility is to diligently prosecute the case without interference or political considerations.
“So the responsibility that we owe Nigeria is to be faithful to the charges that we have filed in 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,” he added.
He concluded by reiterating that the EFCC is a law enforcement agency, not a political organisation.
“In terms of Yahaya 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 organisation, and we are enforcing the law, so to speak.”
