Oyo State Government, on Wednesday, demolished the building where the Yoruba Nation agitators led by Modupe Onitiri-Abiola are operating from in Ibadan, the state capital.

The PUNCH reports that some masked persons, who invaded the state secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, on Saturday morning, were arrested by the joint security personnel who were drafted to demobilise them.

The building was said to be located on Toye Oyesola Street in the Ibadan South West Local Government Area of the state.

READ ALSO: Oyo Invasion: We’ll Wreak More Havoc If… —Yoruba Nation Agitators Vow

When PUNCH correspondent contacted the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, CP Fatai Owoseni (retd.), on the telephone, he confirmed the demolition but declined further comment.

“You can get more details from the Commissioner of Police,” he simply said.

Details later…

Officers of the Nigeria Police Force and some armed men dressed in black with the inscription “Special Forces”, are preventing operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from arresting embattled former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello at his Abuja residence.

EFCC operatives had stormed Bello’s home on Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, at about 9:30 am on Wednesday.

However, our correspondent keenly observed how EFCC operatives were prevented by some policemen and other armed men guarding the ex-governor, from entering the house.

Earlier, the Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, visited the embattled former governor amidst a heavy security crackdown on the latter’s Abuja home.

READ ALSO: 19 Feared Killed, Houses Razed As Gunmen Invade Kogi Communities

Ododo arrived at Bello’s residence at about 2:30 pm Wednesday, alongside several security operatives and youth supporters protesting against the siege to the former governor’s home.

The PUNCH correspondent who visited the residence on Wednesday afternoon observed the heavy presence of armed operatives of EFCC, policemen, operatives of the Department of State Security, Counter Terrorism Unit, and Yahaya Bello’s private security team.

Photographs seen by our correspondent on Wednesday show some armed EFCC personnel laying siege to the ex-governor’s home on Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

As of press time, The PUNCH correspondent could not independently confirm the reason behind the siege on Bello’s home as the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, did not respond to inquiries concerning the development.

READ ALSO: Alleged N84bn Fraud: EFCC Operatives Storm Yahaya Bello’s Abuja Home, Ex-gov Kicks

However, the EFCC had earlier dragged Yahaya Bello, his nephew Ali, one Dauda Sulaiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in an amended charge in March 2024 over an alleged N84bn money laundering.

Reacting to the development, the ex-governor’s media office, in a statement, condemned the operatives’ actions while urging President Bola Tinubu to caution the EFCC.

According to the statement, the presence of the operatives in Bello’s residence negated the order of injunction granted on February 9, 2024, by the High Court of Justice, Lokoja Division, in Suit No. HCL/68M/2024 between Yahaya Bello v. EFCC, restraining the commission either by itself or its agents from harassing, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting him, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive fundamental rights enforcement action.

The statement read, “The EFCC was duly served with that order on February 12, 2024, and on February 26, 2024, the EFCC filed an appeal (Appeal No.: CA/ABJ/CV/175/2024: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission v. Alhaji Yahaya Bello) against the said order to the Court of Appeal Abuja Division. The appeal was accompanied by a Motion for a Stay of Execution of the order of the High Court, which the Court of Appeal adjourned for hearing till April 22, 2024.

READ ALSO: Confusion As EFCC Joins Kogi Ex-gov, Bello In Amended N100bn Corruption Case

“Furthermore, judgment in the substantive case between Alhaji Yahaya Bello and the EFCC will be delivered at 12 noon today in Lokoja.

“Contrary to all of the above, the EFCC has now laid siege to the home of H.E Yahaya Bello, seeking to arrest him in contravention of the extant orders!

“It is a surprise that an agency led by a lawyer could flagrantly disobey a subsisting court order by taking actions contrary to the reliefs granted.

“We are aware of the total commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s current administration to the rule of law and can say categorically that the EFCC leadership might have offered the agency on a platter of gold to desperate politicians to convert it to their score-settling tool without minding the effect on its integrity and the image of Nigeria as regards the rule of law.”

The ex-governor’s media office further alleged that the anti-graft agency was plotting to embarrass and harass him through spurious allegations, especially the latest one dating back to September 2015, long before he assumed office.

READ ALSO: Why Ex-Kogi Gov Yahaya Bello May Be In Trouble

The anti-graft agency, in the 17-count amended charge, accused Yahaya Bello of money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N84,062,406,089.88.

The EFCC had claimed in the amended charge that the former governor was at large.

Before the charge, the EFCC had arraigned Bello’s nephew, Ali Bello, before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for alleged money laundering involving N10bnn belonging to the Kogi State Government.

However, the state government faulted the charge, describing it as “ridiculous” and “laughable,” adding that it was impossible, as the former governor was not yet able to access or misappropriate state funds at the said time.

The state government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, had on February 7, 2024, accused the EFCC of being “infested with persons whose intents disagree with the noble intention of ‘Mr. President to defeat corruption in Nigeria.”

…. Another To Life Imprisonment

An Edo High Court sitting in Benin and presided over by Justice Irele-Ifijeh has sentenced three persons to death by hanging for armed robbery, kidnapping and murder of one Ephraim Akhere.

The convicts, whose names were given as Solomon Abuede, James Monday and Kelvin Edward were sentenced to death for armed robbery, kidnapping and the murder of Ephraim Akhere in Ihumudumun quarters in Ekpoma, the headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State

Justice Ifijeh, also sentenced one Oviasogie Sunday, alias Alhaji of Kano to life imprisonment for receiving an Infinity Jeep with registration number EFR 218 FB, property of the late Ephraim which was stolen after the murder.

The convicts were among the six persons arraigned before Justice Irele-Ifijeh in suit number: HEK/25c/24 on a six-count charge of armed robbery, kidnapping, conspiracy and receipt of stolen property.

READ ALSO: Court Orders Man’s Arrest In Wife, Child Neglect Case

The court, however, discharged two other accused, David Williams and Monday Ozomo, for lack of evidence linking them to the armed robbery and kidnapping.

In her judgment, Justice Ifijeh ruled that the kidnappers rode on a motorcycle, armed with dangerous weapons, kidnapped their victims and asked Ephraim, the driver and Sandra to move to the back seat and lower their heads while Solomon took over the driver’s seat.

The Judge averred that the convicts thereafter drove to the bank while two of them stayed with their victims inside the car.

She added that the other went to the bank with Ephraim’s ATM card to withdraw money from his account.

READ ALSO: Man Jailed 27 Years For Stealing N2.3m In Ekiti

She posited that after the withdrawal, the convicts were said to have driven to an uncompleted building where one of them named Solomon Abuede threw Ephraim into a well after giving him rat poison to swallow, while the girl was given the option of jumping into the well or eating the rat poison.

The judge, further said that Solomon who provided the rat poison later spared the girl’s life but raped her instead.

The judge further added that James Monday who was said to have provided the gun used for the operation and Monday Ozomo took the Infinity Jeep and two other stolen vehicles to Kano where Oviasogie paid N420,000 for the Infinity Jeep out of the agreed N500,000

In a 91-page judgement, Justice Irele-Ifijeh held that the confessional statements of Solomon Abuede, James Monday and Kelvin Edward that they participated in the armed robbery were corroborated by the evidence of one Sandra, a prosecution witness who was in the same vehicle and kidnapped along with the late Ephraim.

The judge, who said the offences were committed on June 13, 2014, averred that the conviction of the three persons was in line with Section 3 of the Kidnapping Prohibition Amendment Law of Edo State 2013 and the Armed Robbery and Firearms Act.