The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi State, remains innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
Wilson Uwuajeren, EFCC director of public affairs, spoke during an interview on Arise Television on Monday.
Uwuajeren said Bello’s trial is still ongoing and that it is the responsibility of the court, not the commission, to determine guilt or innocence.
According to him, the EFCC has no interest in party politics and is only focused on prosecuting the charges before the court.
He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ensuring justice for both the prosecution and the defence, stating that nothing has gone amiss in the handling of the case.
“One thing we need to understand is how criminal prosecution works in Nigeria. It takes some time before you prove some of these charges in court. Like, as I speak to you, the trial is still ongoing before the courts,” he said.
“We are presenting witnesses; we have presented evidence. It is not the commission that is going to decide the matter. It’s the court that will decide the matter.
“All we need to do is to follow the prosecution as it is going on in the court, and ensure at the end of the day that both the prosecution and the defence get justice.
“But having said that, Yahaya Bello, as we speak, is under trial, but the Constitution presumes that anyone who is under trial is innocent until the case is proven.
“So whatever is happening to him within his party, that is the party’s affairs. It has nothing to do with the EFCC. It has nothing to do with the charges that we have filed before the court.
“So the responsibility that we owe Nigeria is to be faithful to the charges that we have filed in court, and we are prosecuting those charges religiously.
“Nothing has happened; nothing has gone amiss in terms of that, and we are committed to doing that.
“In terms of Yahaya Bello, whatever the party does to him, that is the party’s business. EFCC is not a political party. We are not interested in politics. EFCC is a law enforcement organisation, and we are enforcing the law, so to speak.”