Yahaya Bello, the immediate past governor of Kogi State, is under threat from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to come out of hiding.

Over the past two weeks, there has been a game of hide and seek between the commission and the former governor.

On Wednesday, the commission broke into Bello’s Abuja home in an attempt to arrest him, but they were prevented from doing so by outside forces.

According to reports, the former governor may have been hiding in the Kogi State Government House under the immunity of Governor Ahmed Ododo, his successor, who is covered with Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The EFCC has been hunting for Bello, to arrest him over allegation of financial mismanagement while in office as governor.

Earlier, the EFCC was granted a warrant of arrest by a Federal High Court in Abuja to apprehend the embattled former governor.

The warrant was issued following an ex parte motion filed by the EFCC.

Bello will be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda 6 Abdulsalam Hudu on 19 counts bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,088.88.

Bello was supposed to be arraigned in court this Thursday but the planned arraignment could not take place due to his absence.

During the proceedings on Thursday, Counsel to EFCC, Mr Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, told the court that the commission will drag Bello before the court to face his trial, even, if it means engaging the military to get him.

He said, “We may have to invite the military to move Yahaya Bello out of where he is hiding.

“We may have to engage the military to force him out because immunity does not cover him where he is hiding.

“No one is above the law. Immunity covers only the governor and not everyone around him.”

Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, has been urged to act honourably and allow himself to be investigated by Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has issued a warrant for Bello due to suspected corrupt activities during his tenure as Kogi State governor.

Remember that both sides have been playing hide-and-seek and staging dramas over the past 24 hours in relation to the plan to arrest the former governor and arraign him on Thursday.

According to the AGF, in a statement he personally signed on Thursday, EFCC is empowered by law to invite any Nigerian for interrogation.

He also described the action of the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, who used his immunity to prevent Bello’s arrest on Wednesday as ‘disquieting’, adding that embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism that can only put Nigeria in bad light before the rest of the world is not the way to go.

According to him, he stands for the rule of law and will ensure no right of any Nigerian is trampled upon.

The AGF said in the terse statement: “The bizarre drama confronting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the course of its efforts to perform its statutory duty has come to my notice (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) as a matter of very grave concern.

“It is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigation into any matter regardless of status. Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC but to honourably answer their invitation.

“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting. A flight from the law does not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbates it.

“I state unequivocally that I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC and indeed any other agency to order when there is indication of any transgression of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies but I also tenaciously hold the view that institutions of State should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently. Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.

“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism that can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world.”

The Federal Government of Nigeria has implemented new technology to identify and react to abrupt losses or dips in power generation throughout the nation in an effort to solve the ongoing failure of the country’s electrical infrastructure.

It made this announcement on Wednesday through the Transmission Company of Nigeria, saying that TCN’s grid management capabilities would be enhanced by the new Generation Dip/Loss Detection System.

According to earlier reports, Nigeria saw its sixth power grid breakdown of 2024 the day before. The system’s energy generation dropped from 2,583.77 megawatts at 2 a.m. on Monday to 64.7 MW at 3 a.m., and the grid was eventually restored later that day.

The report stated that hough the Transmission Company of Nigeria attributed the cause of Monday’s grid collapse to a fire incident, it had consistently blamed gas shortage for power generation and the vandalism of power infrastructure for the recurrent cases of grid collapse in Nigeria.

Nigeria generates an average of 4,000MW of electricity for an estimated 200 million citizens across the country.

But this is hardly sustainable, as the grid continues to record incessant collapse due to gas supply constraints, transmission infrastructure vandalism, and liquidity crisis, among others.

To address this, TCN in a statement issued by its spokesperson in Abuja on Wednesday, said a new technology had been deployed by the Federal Government’s company to effectively manage the transmission network and the national grid.

It said, “As TCN continues to make efforts to enhance grid management, its engineers have recently deployed the Generation Dip/Loss Detection System which plays a pivotal role in detecting and responding to sudden drops or dips in power generation across the network.

“This new innovation stands as a testament to the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s commitment to advancing grid management capabilities.

“Designed to empower the National Control Centre in Osogbo, GLDS provides grid controllers in NCC with advanced tools for real-time monitoring and analysis of grid performance.

“Its intuitive interface allows for the setting of parameters, continuous monitoring of power generating stations, and comprehensive reporting functionalities, enabling swift responses to grid disturbances.”

The company said GLDS incorporates sophisticated data analytics and machine learning algorithms to analyse real-time data and identify patterns associated with sudden generation loss.

“By leveraging anomaly detection techniques, GLDS can promptly alert grid controllers on deviations from normal grid behaviour, facilitating proactive intervention to prevent widespread disruptions,” it stated.

TCN further stated that the system would ensure seamless communication between GLDS and IoT cloud servers, enabling a more rapid response and coordination of mitigation strategies.

It said this connectivity underscores the company’s commitment to enhancing grid resilience and ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of electricity to consumers across Nigeria.

The firm said, “Previously, TCN engineers had developed an in-house design that leverages on IoT technology as an innovative solution in response to the challenge of limited visibility of power generators.

“The IoT devices, which were strategically deployed across power stations and some substations, facilitate the collection of near real-time data, including power generation levels and grid performance metrics.

“The IoT enabled the expansion of visibility of power generating stations from six to 27, and this has helped TCN significantly improve its ability to monitor grid load and identify potential issues before they escalate.”

The power transmission company stated that recently, the IoT device was also used to capture generation from Taopex Gs and Zungeru hydropower station, bringing the total number of power stations visible to the national grid to 29.

It said, “The GLDS and the IoT represent a significant step forward in bolstering grid stability and reliability.

“These initiatives not only empower TCN’s grid controllers with the insights needed to proactively address challenges and minimise disruptions but also demonstrate TCN’s dedication to meeting the evolving demands of the NESI (Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry).”