Olu Samuel, Lokoja

The Congress of Ebira youths for Justice and fairplay has cautioned the Senator Representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Federal government to thread softly over the ongoing face off between Ex governor Yahaya Bello and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.

The group , comprising representatives of various youths and women organisations from 5 LGAs of Kogi Central, in a press conference addressed on Monday in Okene said that it was important for the Senator to choose her fight carefully no matter the energy at her disposal.

The press conference addressed by the
Convener , Comrade Kabiru Usman said “we want to remind her of an Ebira adage which says that no one uses his/her oil to cook toad no matter the abundance of oil at her disposal”.

Usman said that Senator Natasha should note that the political difference between her and FGYB is domestic and internal affairs which should not be politicised.

“It’s therefore disturbing to see that she is using her past political differences with the former governor to align with enemies of Ebiraland who are using EFCC as a canon folder to achieve their clandestine motives.

Natasha should know that no ethnic groups in Kogi can love her more than her own. Our senator needs to draw example from her governorship contest in 2019. Those who are urging her to keep attacking Yahaya Bello and by extension Ebira interest now went the directions of their own candidates and left her in the cold. Let her know therefore that her support for the traducers of Ebiraland in this Yahaya Bello’s persecution has dire political consequences for her now and in the future.” He said.

He said that various legal authorities have spoken on the illegalities of the commission that suggest that the matter against Yahaya Bello is more of politics than the criminal prosecution.

“It’s evidently clear from all that have happened that EFCC is being used as smokescreen by Yahaya Bello’s Political enemies. No evidence of formal invitation extended to him by the commission rather the commission chairman told the world during his infamous press conference that he called the former governor and asked him to come to the headquarters of commission through the back door. And he expected Yahaya Bello to submit his neck to him just like that? ” He quipped.

He said that the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede pulled the rug off the commission’s feet when he went further to allege that Yahaya Bello took $720,000 of Kogi money to pay his children’s school fees in advance at the American international School Abuja.

” Now, the questions to Mr EFCC chairman, is the former governor’s children not attending the school before he became governor? Was he in anyway indebted to the school on the account of school fees as private citizen? Did Yahaya enrol his children in that school in anticipation of him becoming governor? These and many more are the question begging for answers from the EFCC chairman. When you want to blackmail, do a smart one that will take time for people to uncover the truth.” He said.

According to him,”May be the EFCC chairman doesn’t know the incalculable damages his outburst has done to the psyche of the innocent children of Yahaya Bello whom he has dragged into his hatchet job. We want to therefore warn the EFCC and their sponsors that nothing must happen to Yahaya Bello’s children” The group warned.

The group also expressed worry over the silence of the Federal government.

“it’s worrisome that all these could be happening to a citizen of Nigeria and a personality like Yahaya Bello and everyone within the corridor of power is keeping mum.

The group urged President Tinubu to call the EFCC boss to order failure of which the group might be force to hit the street to protest if “the persecution continues”.