The kin of the late Kogi State Governor, Prince Abubakar Audu, has refuted claims of providing shelter to the recently embattled Governor of the State, Yahaya Bello, in their ancestral home.
The Audu family issued a statement on Sunday, dismissing reports suggesting that Bello was being harboured in their family abode in Ogbonocha, Ofu Local Government Area of the state.
The statement, endorsed by Mohammed Abubakar, a descendant of Prince Audu, made it clear that their family dwelling is exclusively a private residence for family members and is not designed to act as a haven for any political figure, whether they are in office or not.
The Audu family has been alerted to unfounded and absurd rumors and articles circulating on various social media platforms, alleging that the former governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, is being sheltered in their family home at Ogbonocha. They want to assure the public that these allegations are completely untrue.
The Audu family wants to stress that their home in Ogbonocha is strictly a private residence for the Audu family members and is not a refuge for any political figure, whether they are in office or not.
As guardians of their family’s legacy, they adhere to the principles of honesty and integrity that Prince Abubakar Audu exemplified throughout his life.
They encourage the public to exercise prudence and discernment when confronted with such sensationalist claims, recognizing them as baseless speculation intended to create confusion.
The Audu family is dedicated to upholding the truth and preserving the dignity of their late patriarch’s memory, the statement concludes.
On April 17, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) besieged Bello’s residence in Abuja to apprehend him over an alleged N80 billion fraud.
While the EFCC operatives were at Bello’s residence, Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi paid a visit to his predecessor.
Bello was reportedly extricated by Ododo when he left his residence located in the Wuse Zone 4 District of Abuja.
Following this, the EFCC operatives also vacated the premises, and the anti-corruption agency declared the former governor a wanted person.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has also put Bello on a watchlist, and the Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has withdrawn the police details assigned to the former governor.
The anti-corruption agency has accused Bello, along with Alli Bello, chief of staff to Ododo; and one Daudu Suleiman, of diverting approximately N80.2 billion belonging to the Kogi government.
