Kogi: Fugitive Bello is not hiding in our house – Audu’s family

Former Governor Yahaya Bello is not hiding in our family home, said Mohammed Abubakar Audu, the son of the former Governor of the state, late Prince Abubakar Audu.

The family said the clarification became necessary following suggestions that the state’s former governor ran to the family home for protection after being declared a fugitive by the federal government.

Bello was on the security wanted list following his escape from his home in Abuja last week after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, surrounded the building with a view to arresting him.

The magazine reports that his successor, Usman Ododo, escaped with Bello in his official convoy to avoid the anti-graft agency from arresting him.

Since he evaded arrest, there are indications that he has been hiding somewhere in the state where he once served as CEO.

In a statement on Sunday by the Audu family, they denied that Bello was hiding in their family home in Ogbonocha, Ofu Local Government Area of ​​the State, stressing that their house cannot be a “sanctuary” for the former governor.

The statement reads in part: “The attention of the family of Prince Abubakar Audu has been drawn to false and ridiculous rumors and publications circulating on various social media platforms, alleging that the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, is housed in our family home in Ogbonocha, Ofu Local Government Area, Kogi State. We would like to inform the public that this claim is completely false.

“We wish to emphasize that our family home in Ogbonocha serves solely as a private residence for members of the Audu family and is not a refuge for any political figure, past or present.

“As custodians of our family’s heritage, we uphold the principles of honesty and integrity that Prince Abubakar Audu embodied throughout his life.

“We urge the public to exercise caution and discernment when confronted with such sensational claims, and to recognize them for what they are: unfounded conjecture designed to sow confusion.”

The state government had earlier denied suggestions that the former governor, who is wanted by the EFCC to answer questions over an alleged N80 billion corruption, was taking refuge at the Government House, Lokoja.