Tag: Yahaya Bello

  • N3bn Fraud: EFCC arraigns Yahaya Bello’s Wife, Nephew

    N3bn Fraud: EFCC arraigns Yahaya Bello’s Wife, Nephew

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Rashida, wife of Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi and a relative for alleged fraud.

    Rashida was arraigned before a federal high court in Abuja alongside one Ali Bello, identified as a nephew to the Kogi governor.

    EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren in a statement said the duo were docked alongside three other persons on an 18-count charge “bordering on criminal misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of N3,081,804,654″.

    The EFCC spokesman said Rashida’s whereabouts is unknown at the time of arraignment.

    “That you, Ali Bello, Abba Adaudu, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, Rashida Bello (at large) sometime in June, 2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured E- Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00 (Three Billion, Eighty One Million, Eight Hundred and Four Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty Four Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18(a), 15(20)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act,” count one if the charge reads.

  • Kogi Not Haven For Criminals Under Yahaya Bello – IGP

    Kogi Not Haven For Criminals Under Yahaya Bello – IGP

    From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

    The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, in Lokoja described Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State as a dogged crime fighter who had made the state unsafe for criminals to thrive.

    The IGP Baba who spoke during his visit to Kogi State, added that he was happy that Governor Bello was playing the role of the “real Chief Executive Officer” in terms of security, noting that he is “a dependable ally in the battle against national insecurity.”

    He said, “I’ve never heard him crying that he doesn’t have control of security in his state. That is because he is able to synergize and cooperate with all the security agencies. Security is everybody’s business. When you have a leader who is leading from the front, others will follow. That is what is happening in Kogi.”

    “Many of the crimes being committed by Kogi indigenes are not even committed in Kogi but outside the state because they have no place in Kogi State again.”

    “We have people like His Excellency who are supporting our cause. My sincere gratitude to His Excellency for being proactive about security. I can’t remember how many times he has visited the force headquarters, not for himself because he has no reason to; but in his efforts to protect his people. I don’t know how many governors do this.”

    In his address, Governor Bello reiterated the readiness of his administration to resist attempts by some desperate politicians to plunge the state into the pre-2015 era of insecurity in the guise of playing politics.

    The governor said credible intelligence report at the disposal of the state government had revealed that actions of some politicians were capable of truncating the peace currently enjoyed in the state, stressing that his administration would not allow insecurity to be smuggled into Kogi through the “boot of politics”.

    He seized the opportunity to appreciate the Kogi State Police Command, currently under the CP Edward Chuka Egbuka, as well as those of the various security agencies operating in the state for being alert in the formation of a formidable wall of defence for the people in Kogi.

    On how insecurity was tackled in Kogi, the governor said, “It is well known that prior to the inception of the current administration, our citizens lived in perpetual fear from rampaging insecurity of all kinds including high rates of terrorism, kidnapping, bank robbery, violent political agitations, pipeline vandalism, herdsmen/farmers conflicts, inter- and intra-communal clashes, campus and other forms of cultism, amongst others.

    “By the grace of God, over the last 7 years my Administration has done its best to supply both the tools and the allied morale boosters that our officers need to excel.”

    “In our first year, we were able to buy and distribute over 200 patrol vans, over 500 motorcycles and thousands of communications and tactical equipment to the services. We also continue to provide regular maintenance and logistical support.”

    “In addition, we established a Joint Task Force, Operation Total Freedom, for them which allowed the Police, the Armed Forces and all the other Security Services, including our community policing network (the Kogi State Vigilante Services), to work in tandem, sharing intel and collaborating real-time in operations. In this way we were able to tackle the distrust existing among the services and which is the root of the lack of synergy hampering their effectiveness.”

    Governor Bello attributed his success in security to the combined efforts of the state government and security agencies, saying, “On February 8th, 2017 I received the Special Award for Excellence In Security Governance confered on me by the then Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris. It was the first award of its kind on a sitting Governor by the Nigerian Police. Till today the Nigerian Police Force has not seen it fit to bestow it on any other.

    “On December 26, 2020 Major-General MG Ali, Commander of the Special Forces Battalion of the Nigerian Army gave me a highly cherished honourable mention during a public speech and held up our security model as worthy of emulation by other leaders.

    “On October 21, 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari presented me with the Distinguished Award for Security Management at the 2022 Nigerian Excellence Awards in Public, held in Abuja.”

  • Yahaya Bello Rides Canoe to Visit Flooded Communities In Kogi

    Yahaya Bello Rides Canoe to Visit Flooded Communities In Kogi

    Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello visited some of the communities ravaged by flood in the state.

    The flood has made the highways impassable for travellers from or through Lokoja to Abuja.

    To access the affected communities, Yahaya Bello and his aides travelled in canoes.

    The governor interacted with some residents of the affected communities and sympathised with them.

  • Tinubu Appoints Yahaya Bello As Campaign Council Youth Coordinator

    Tinubu Appoints Yahaya Bello As Campaign Council Youth Coordinator

    Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has been appointed as the National Youth Coordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.

    The appointment was conveyed in a letter addressed to Governor Bello and signed by the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.

    Tinubu, in the letter, dated August 8, 2022, stressed that Bello, who was an aspirant in the party’s presidential primary, deserved the appointment owing to his impressive political achievements and the exemplary leadership he had demonstrated as governor of his state and as a party member.

    He added that he was confident that the governor would do his best in the new responsibility given him to ensure the party run an effective and message-driven campaign that would lead to its victory in the 2023 presidential election.

    The letter titled, “Appointment as National Youth Coordinator for Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council,” read, “By way of this letter, we are pleased to formally convey your appointment as National Youth Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.

    “This appointment is fitting and appropriate, given your impressive political achievements and the exemplary leadership you have demonstrated as governor of your state and as a party member. We are grateful that you have joined our campaign team. We know you will do your utmost in this new responsibility, so we conduct an effective, message-driven campaign leading us to victory in the 2023 presidential election.

    “Together, not only can we ensure victory for our party in the February 2023 election, but we shall also move Nigeria along the path of national greatness by building on the achievements of our party and the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in providing progressive good governance to Nigerians. We wish you God’s speed and guidance.

    “Congratulations. Please, accept the assurances of our highest respect and regards always.”

    In his acceptance letter, Governor Bello pledged to deploy all in his capacity, working alongside the presidential candidate, to ensure victory for the APC.

    “Your Excellency is one great Nigerian I know, who not only exemplifies but abundantly demonstrates, through transformational leadership and good governance, my own aspirations for a Nigeria that is secure, united, and prosperous,” he stated.

  • 2023: We didn’t endorse Yahaya Bello for president — Northern CAN

    2023: We didn’t endorse Yahaya Bello for president — Northern CAN

    The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Northern Region has denied endorsing Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State for president in 2023, describing as “a fabrication” an online report on the issue.

    The Christian body stated that no candidate was endorsed by the CAN leadership in the 19 Northern states and Abuja during its extraordinary meeting in Abuja weekend.

    In the communiqué at the end of the meeting, signed by the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of Northern CAN, Jechonia Gilbert, the apex Christian body said: “The strategy meeting is to collate reports from the various zones concerning the security situation in various states that make up the zone with the aim of helping the leadership of Northern CAN in making a bold statement to the nation concerning the worrisome security challenges in the North.

    “We pray for Nigerians to close ranks for the purpose of defeating the enemies of Nigerians, especially those killing in the name of religion, those kidnapping for ransom and those raping our women across the country. We must unite to stamp out this evil from our nation.

    “We also want to clarify the recent report in some online papers that Northern CAN had adopted Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State as its presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections. Northern CAN, from history, has never adopted any individual for any elective position in the history of elections in Nigeria and will not do so this time. Our duty to the Nigerian nation as a religious body, is to pray for the peace of the nation and encourage our members to participate in every constitutional process towards nation building.

    “As an organisation with large followership and its members belonging to different political persuasions, it is unthinkable to assume that we have adopted a particular individual who is not even a flag bearer of any political party as our candidate for the 2023 presidential elections.”

  • 2023 presidency: We didn’t endorse Yahaya Bello -Northern CAN

    2023 presidency: We didn’t endorse Yahaya Bello -Northern CAN

    The Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern states and Abuja has described as untrue, reports that it had endorsed Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State for the 2023 presidential election.

    The organisation said that from history, it had never adopted any individual for any elective position in the history of elections in Nigeria and won’t do so in the 2023 elections.

    The Public Relations Officer of CAN (19 Northern States and Abuja), Chaplain Jechonia Gilbert, made the clarification in a communiqué issued after its Extraordinary Meeting held at Excel Hotel in Abuja, after a condolence visit to its chairman, Rev. Yakubu Pam, on the death of his mother.

    The communiqué read, “We want to clarify the recent report in some online papers that Northern CAN had adopted Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State as its presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.

    “Northern CAN, from history, has never adopted any individual for any elective position in the history of elections in Nigeria and neither will it do so this time. Our duty to the Nigerian nation as a religious body is to pray for the peace of the nation and encourage our members to participate in every constitutional process towards nation-building.

    “As an organisation with large followership and its members belonging to different political persuasions, it is unthinkable to assume that we have adopted a particular individual who is not even a flag bearer of any political party as our candidate for the 2023 presidential elections.

    “We call on the public to disregard such reportage as it is never the thought or imagination of Northern CAN. There has never been any meeting of the leadership of Northern CAN where such a decision was ever taken.

    “Following the release of election timetable by INEC, we are here to make our contributions towards nation building by directing our leaders from the three zones in the North to go back and mobilize their members to come out en masse to register so as to enable them to participate in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

    “The strategic meeting is to collate reports from the various zones concerning the security situation in various States that make up the zone with the aim of helping the leadership of Northern CAN in making a bold statement to the nation concerning the worrisome security challenges in the North.

    “We pray for Nigerians to close ranks for the purpose of defeating the enemies of Nigerians, especially those killing in the name of religion, those kidnapping for ransom and those raping our women across the country. We must unite and stand together to stamp out this evil from our nation.”

  • NYCN Lauds Yahaya Bello At 46

    NYCN Lauds Yahaya Bello At 46

    National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYC) has described Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello as a beacon of hope for women and youth in attaining their aspirations in life.

    The NYCN in a congratulatory message to the governor signed by its President, Solomon Adodo explained that the active engagement of youth and women in his administration stands him out.

    “The National Youth Council of Nigeria wish to identify with His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello on his heroic 46th birthday celebration. In a country where youths and women have not been given their pride of place in the scheme of affairs, we find your style of engaging a good number of youths and women not only intriguing but compelling.

    “It is evident that your style of leadership has brought about relative peace in Kogi State at a time insecurity appears to be having a toll on many states in the country. Peace is the fulcrum of development, no wonder the confluence state under your watch has become a choice for conferences and other gatherings of captains of industries, civil society groups amongst many others.

    The statement further listed the qualities of the governor as being dependable and trustworthy leader who remains an incontrovertible inspiration to the youths in the country and prayed God to keep him as he writes his name in the anals of history.

    The Council particularly hailed Governor Yahaya Bello’s masterstroke for youth inclusion by appointing all the NYCN Local Government Coordinators in Kogi State as Secretaries of their respective Local Government Council’s, urging other State Governors to borrow a leaf from GYB. “Today the NYCN has the pleasure of wishing a great politician a truly marvellous birthday”, the statement noted.

  • Int’l Women Day: Bello Promises More Involvement Of Women In Governance

    Int’l Women Day: Bello Promises More Involvement Of Women In Governance

    By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

    The Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello on Monday in Lokoja promised to sustain the spirit of more participation of women in his administration.

    The Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Edward Onoja at the celebration of International Women Day in the state on Mondaysaid that gender equity will continue to receive topmost priority of his administration in the years ahead.

    Bello recalled that “His administration facilitated the election of 21 Chairpersons and 21 Counselors into the grassroot local council administration in the state
    and has also appointed female as Secretary to Government of Kogi state, Head of Service, Special Advisers and Commissioner for Women Affairs ”

    In her introductory speech, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Fatima Buba disclosed that the International Women Day Celebration which started in 1911 is targeted at showcasing the economic, social and cultural achievements of the womenfolk world over.

    According to the commissioner “the Women Day is also aimed at reflecting on the progress made in past years as well as looking back to the past struggles for women’s rights and protection”

    She described Governor Bello as the most Gender Sensitive Leader considering his enormous empowerment of the womenfolk since assumption of office.

    She appealed to the Governor to give more opportunities for women in the area of effective participation in politics, appointment into key positions and sharing of state resources.

    The commissioner who commended governor Yahaya Bello on the security of lives and property in the state, therefore, declared total support of Kogi Women for Governor Bello’s presidential ambition come 2021.

  • Yahaya Bello Reveals  Why Fani-Kayode Did Not Join APC

    Yahaya Bello Reveals Why Fani-Kayode Did Not Join APC

    Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello has explained why former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode did not join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He spoke on Politics Today, Channels Television programme
    Yahaya Bello, in a two minutes video, claimed the former minister had dumped the PDP for the APC.

    Also, viral photos of Fani-Kayode meeting with the Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello and the APC interim National Chairman, Mala Buni did set many tongues wagging.

    Bello said, “Myself and Chief Fani-Kayode are brothers and we are partnering in ensuring there is peace and tranquility across the country.“The Chief Femi Fani-Kayode that everybody knows by the time he met me, I think he had a rethink of what life is all about and what Nigeria is all about, and you can see the mix so far, we are able to broker peace between the Amalgamated Union of Traders and our other aggrieved brothers.

    “Him joining the APC is at his own volition; him not joining, is at his own volition, political party divide has nothing to do with both of us working for the unity, peace and progress of this country, that’s what I know.”

  • FG Flags-off Gold Processing Cluster in Kogi

    FG Flags-off Gold Processing Cluster in Kogi

    By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

    The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade on Tuesday in Moba performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the Gold Processing Cluster, located in Mopa, Mopamuro local government area of Kogi State.

    Dr. Akinlade who led the Federal government team for the event said the projects is part of the Federal government’s efforts to diversify the Nation’s economy from oil.

    The permanent secretary said the Gold Processing Cluster will also cater for other Gems stones and solid mineral mining activities in the North Central of the country.

    “The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has commenced the implementation of programmes aimed at establishing and accelerating mineral value chain activities through the development of a Mineral Mining cluster in each of the six geopolitical zone.” he said

    “The objective of the project is to Assembly and coordinate the activities of the artisanal and small scale miners in the identified areas based on the identified mineral type for each geopolitical zone.”

    “The mining cluster is to provide common facilities and coordinated activities to enable easy formalization of the artisanal miners in the identified zones and avail them an opportunity for mineral value addition, as well as creation of market access.”

    The Permanent secretary said the project is expected to be commissioned by ending of June, and become operational immediately.

    The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello said the state government will consolidate on the idea of the Gold Processing Cluster in diversifying the economy of the state.

    Bello who was represented at the event by the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo said, “We thank Mr. President for this project. This will spur the economy of the state. It will create jobs and make Kogi the economic hubs of the country.”

    “It will increase the trading of the state. This underscore the economic blueprint of the state government in making the state the giant in industrial sector amongst other states in the country”

    Fanwo who promised that the state will ensure proper security of the projects, urged stakeholders to take advantage of the opportunities to come to Kogi state to invest.