TheCable

Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi state, on Wednesday paid a visit to Yahaya Bello, his predecessor, at his residence in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Ododo visited Bello during an ongoing siege on his residence located in the Wuse zone 4 area  of Abuja by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The development comes about a month after the EFCC named Bello in an amended money laundering charge filed against Alli Bello, chief of staff to Ododo.

Ali, and one Daudu Suleiman, are the two defendants in the 17-count amended charge.

The anti-graft agency alleged that the suspects diverted about N100 billion belonging to the Kogi government.

The Kogi government under the leadership of Ododo has since said funds belonging to the state were not missing under the former governor.

Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi commissioner for information and communications, said the EFCC is persecuting Bello.

“As a subnational in the Nigerian nationhood, we wish to express our utmost respect for agencies set up to perform specific functions towards the greatness of Nigeria,” Fanwo had said.

“The desperation of the EFCC to hastily and for glaring political reasons, hound the immediate past Governor on their corruption list is unfortunate and speaks volume on how we reward altruistic leadership in our nation.

“The amended charges in which the name of the former governor was mentioned are false, frivolous, fictitious and far from the truth.”