Paul Akomolehin, Lokoja
DAILY COURIER – A massive crowd of women in Kogi State staged a protest over the weekend, decrying what they termed the unjust persecution of former governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The demonstrators, who gathered in the state capital, Lokoja, called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, accusing the EFCC of conducting a politically motivated witch-hunt against the ex-governor.
The women, led by various community leaders and supporters of Yahaya Bello, marched through the streets, expressing their dissatisfaction with the recent actions of the EFCC. They alleged that the anti-graft agency’s accusations against Bello were intended to tarnish his image and undermine his political influence.
Hajiya Halima Abass, one of the protest leaders, voiced the group's frustration: "We stand with our leader, Yahaya Bello, in this trying time. We believe he has been targeted unfairly, and we demand justice. We won’t watch him lose his life." Abass and other protesters insisted that Bello had made significant contributions to Kogi State during his time as governor, and any allegations against him should be handled by the courts, not through what they described as harassment by the EFCC.
The demonstrators, representing different ethnic groups in the state, including the Igala, Ebira, and Yoruba, chanted solidarity songs and urged the EFCC to act professionally in its handling of the case. They highlighted Bello’s achievements and praised his leadership, saying he had done more for Kogi State than any previous governor.
Another protester, Mrs. Boluwaji, echoed these sentiments, urging the EFCC to focus on genuine cases of corruption rather than what she called “political vendetta.” The women were particularly outraged by an incident on Wednesday, when the EFCC allegedly attempted to arrest Bello at night, despite him having voluntarily appeared before the agency earlier in the day.
"We Kogi people of Ebira descent cherish what our son, Yahaya Bello, did for us as governor. That is why we’re out on the streets to ask EFCC to leave him alone," said Hajiya Fatima, one of the women leaders from Ebiraland. She emphasized that the people of Kogi would not stand by while Bello’s reputation and life were jeopardized.
From Kogi East, Mrs. Deborah, another leader of the protest, added her voice to the growing discontent. "We, the Igala people from Kogi East, are here because of our leader, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. He has never done anything bad to us. To those people who are looking to take him, please leave him alone. We have never seen the kind of his government before. He did well for the state."
The protest, which drew hundreds of women, reflects growing tension in the state over the EFCC’s investigation of Yahaya Bello. The former governor, who completed his tenure in office earlier this year, has faced scrutiny from the anti-corruption agency, but his supporters claim that the investigation is politically driven.
As the protest continued, the women called on President Bola Tinubu to instruct the EFCC to respect due process and allow the courts to determine the legitimacy of the allegations against Bello. They warned that further actions against their former governor could provoke unrest in the state.
The EFCC has not yet responded to the protest, but tensions remain high in Kogi as residents await further developments in the case.
