Daniel Bwala, a legal professional and public affairs analyst, has condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its alleged “trial by media” approach in its case against former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Bwala, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Campaign Committee, criticized the EFCC chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, for conducting public discussions that resemble courtroom trials, with media outlets serving as judge and jury.
Speaking on Arise TV’s morning show, Bwala observed that Olukoyede’s recent press briefing resembled a prosecutor’s opening statement in court, with the press acting as the judge. He questioned whether Bello had the opportunity to present his defense, calling it a “complete trial by the media.”
Bwala expressed concern that the EFCC’s approach could provide an “escape route” for the accused, citing the agency’s history of high-profile cases failing to progress. He suggested that Olukoyede’s comments created doubt and fed into Bello’s claims of persecution.
“The procedure in EFCC is, except if they change it, they will write to you,” Bwala explained. “They will invite you. But in this case, the EFCC chairman said they don’t need to even take Bello’s statement to charge him. So why the insistence to arrest him?”
Bwala further alleged that Olukoyede had breached EFCC protocols by granting special privileges to Bello that were not extended to others. He concluded that the EFCC’s actions raised questions about its intentions to prosecute effectively. CONTINUE READING
