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Why Ex-Kogi Gov Yahaya Bello May Be In Trouble

Published

2 years ago

February 8, 2024

Indications appeared last night that the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, might have run into trouble with some powerful forces in the All Progressives Congress, who are now ready to pay him back in his own coin, barely a few weeks after leaving office.

A top federal government official told Vanguard on Thursday that the former governor had stepped on some toes while in office by some of the decisions he took, which the party did not like but could not do anything about it because of his closeness to the Buhari administration.

The official explained that although the former governor remains a towering figure in the ruling APC, some of his actions while in office, are said to have irked some forces close to the Presidency and they are unwilling to let him go scot-free.

Among the issues, which Vanguard learnt, might come back to haunt Yahaya Bello, is his high profile campaign to become the president of Nigeria while the current president, Bola Tinubu, was the clear frontrunner to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Do not forget that Yahaya Bello mobilised heavily to become the president of Nigeria despite knowing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been endorsed by the APC and he only gave up the ambition after being rounded defeated by Tinubu at the Eagles Square.

“Although, the former Kogi State Governor has since aligned with Mr. President and earned his support during the governorship election in Kogi State, which was won by the APC’s Ahmed Usman Ododo now the Executive Governor of Kogi State, there are feelings that those who were uncomfortable with the stance of the former Governor against the zoning arrangement in the APC and the fact that he might still habour a presidential ambition come 2027 have not taken their eyes off the former Governor of Kogi State.

“Don’t also forget that the same governor denied the existence of Covid-19 and acted against all the measures adopted by the federal government in conjunction with the international community to stave off the deadly disease, a development that seriously embarrassed the government and people of Nigeria, but there was nothing the party could do at the time.

“Now, those who lost out from the many economic and financial benefits that might have accrued to the state are still unhappy with the same former governor, who feels he did something extraordinary to save his state and people,” the top official explained.

“As if these were not enough, there were posters last week at the APC Secretariat indicating that the former governor wanted to replace the APC National Chairman, who was just elected some months back. These are some of the issues, which have riled some powerful elements and ex-governor Bello needs to be very careful with his actions,” the top APC official warned.

Vanguard also gathered that the last governorship election in Kogi State, which Bello still had an upper hand by installing his successor, came with huge collateral damage and cracks that reinforced deep animosity within the rank of the APC and tribal fault lines in the state.

It was gathered that the former governor has earned fewer friends in the aftermath of the election in which some leading APC leaders actively supported the opposition candidate in the state in a bid to vent their disapproval of Bello.

According to reliable sources, many of those behind the plot to deny the APC victory in the election are still uncomfortable with Bello and would not want to see him emerge as a power broker within the party anymore.

It was not clear whether any of these issues had any relationship with the sudden amendment of charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to include the former governor to answer charges over the alleged laundering of N80 billion fund belonging to the Kogi State Government.

It could not be established whether Bello was initially removed from the charge by EFCC because of his immunity as a governor or whether there are other factors behind his inclusion in the amended charge, even though he was the not the governor at the time the EFCC said the offence was committed in 2015.
VANGUARD

News

27-year-old Man Dies Inside Deep Well In Ogbomoso

Published

3 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

The corpse of a 27-year-old man identified as Alagbe Gbemisoye has been recovered from a deep well at Ire-Akari, Adeniran area of Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

His body was retrieved by officials of the Oyo State Fire Service after passersby alerted them to the incident.

The circumstances that led to the deceased falling into the well were still unclear as of the time of filing this report.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Fire Reforms and Chairman, Fire Services, Moroof Akinwande, said his men were alerted by a running caller and Mr Ajayi Olayemi.

“Fire personnel led by CFM Oladejo promptly deployed to the scene. On arrival, it was discovered that a man of about 27 years old, named Alagbe Gbemisoye, had fallen into a deep well. His body was recovered and handed over to the DPO, Owode Police Station,” he said.

Akinwande urged the public to always observe safety precautions in their daily activities and emphasised the importance of having fire extinguishers in their homes to prevent fire incidents.

News

Bauchi Records 75 Homicide Cases, 28 Kidnapping Cases, Others – Official

Published

3 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

The Bauchi state Ministry of Justice says it recorded nothing less than 75 homicide cases, 28 kidnapping cases and 86 cases of rape in the 2024-2025 legal year.

Barr. Hassan Usman (SAN), the Bauchi state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, stated this in Bauchi on Tuesday during the commencement of the 2025-2026 legal year ceremony.

“In criminal cases from January to date, we received a total of 91 robbery cases, as against last year which was 83 and we received 75 homicide cases.

“We were served with motions for bails and other motions totalling about 256 and we received about 86 rape cases and 28 kidnapping cases.

“In total, we received a total number of 592 criminal cases and out of this number, 97 have been disposed of, 15 were discharged through legal advice, 454 are pending,” said the Commissioner.

According to him, given the high volume of cases recorded, the Ministry developed strategies to fast-track prosecutions in line with the administration of criminal justice law that emphasised speedy trials by setting timelines of filing charges in court and proceeding.

While explaining that Gov. Bala Mohammed approved the release of N7.8 million for the purchase of law and other practice books for their library, Usman added that Mohammed also approved the release of monthly funds to settle all outstanding judgement debts owed by the state government.

He appreciated the governor for his benevolence, unwavering commitment and exceptional support for the Ministry of Justice in the state.

Earlier speaking, Justice Rabi Umar, the State’s Chief Judge, lamented the recurrent practice of arraigning suspects in court without proper preliminary investigations.

She added that in many cases, efforts to gather evidence were only initiated after the trial had begun.

“This backward approach to criminal prosecution significantly delays the process and undermines the delivery of justice.

“It is unacceptable that in 2025, we continue to see such practices, which contributed to the overwhelming backlog of cases in our courts and ultimately eroded public confidence in the Justice System.

“To resolve this and other identified lapses, a Committee was set up to review the Bauchi state Administration of Criminal Justice Law and come up with a Draft Law that will stand the test of time,” she said.

She however, affirmed that any lawyer that didn’t adhere to the prescribed dress code for legal practitioners in the state would not be permitted to appear in court, adding that such a disregard for professional decorum undermined the prestige and global respect that the legal profession commands.

In his speech, governor Mohammed said that the three arms of government in the state had been working harmoniously and in synergy without compromising their constitutional autonomy.

Represented by his deputy, Alh. Auwal Jatau, Mohammed said that he has been giving the two other arms of government the necessary support and cooperation to ensure that they all operated optimally without any hindrance.

News

HIV: 29,874 Bauchi Residents Under Treatment, 650 Infants Recover From Infection – Commissioner

Published

3 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

The Bauchi State Government has said that it is currently treating a total of 29,874 people living with HIV with Antiretroviral treatment across the state.

Dr. Sani Mohammed Danbam, the Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, disclosed this while speaking at a press conference jointly held with partners to commemorate the 2025 World Aids Day.

According to him, HIV affects the most vulnerable in society: the poor, the uneducated, the marginalized, women, and children.

He said AIDS remains incurable, but no longer has to be a death sentence.

Speaking on the HIV situation in the State, Danbam said, “as of today, a total of 29,874 people living with HIV are receiving (Antiretroviral Therapy) ART and the State has scaled up to 863 HTS/PMTCT facilities, where the general population and pregnant women receive free HIV services.

“This year, we have successfully placed 2,246 newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals on antiretroviral treatment, and over 650 HIV-exposed infants have achieved 100% early infant diagnosis and remain free from HIV infection.”

This year’s theme for World Aids Day: ‘Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response’, Danbam said is to reflect the challenges caused by recent funding cuts and other setbacks, and “it reminds us of the need to build a stronger, more resilient and rights-focused approach as we work toward ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.”

Also, the Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Diene Keita, noted that in spite of advancements in medical technologies and public policies, progress made over decades was increasingly jeopardised, with prevention gains eroding as essential services struggled to reach people at elevated risk.

Represented by Deborah Tabara, Gender/Reproductive Health Analyst & State Programme Officer, UNFPA Bauchi, stressed that severe cuts in international aid were destabilising HIV prevention efforts, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where millions relied on donor-supported programmes to access accurate information, prevention tools and essential community-based support.

According to Keita, almost 2.5 million people have lost access to lifesaving Pre-exposure Prophylaxis due to shrinking resources, with countries recording half of last year’s new HIV infections experiencing the harshest consequences from dwindling funding.

Tackling gender inequality, violence and stigma in healthcare systems and societies more broadly will be instrumental in reducing factors that put people at risk of HIV. Integrating HIV services into routine sexual and reproductive healthcare, including family planning and maternal health, would make them more readily available to many women and girls.

“At this crossroads in the AIDS response, UNFPA continues to support countries in sustaining and improving HIV prevention, particularly for adolescent girls, young women and key populations, along with providing treatment and related services.

“The combined efforts of governments, international organisations, activists and communities have led to remarkable progress on HIV, saving nearly 27 million lives to date. Now, we need to come together and finish what we know works and what we know is possible – an AIDS-free future for all.”