THE embattled senator-daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, recently played a fast one on the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC operatives laid an ambush for Senator Obasanjo-Bello at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, but the information got to her and she decided to travel by road.
EFCC sources told the Nigerian Tribune that the operatives had gone to her house two weeks ago to invite her to their office for questioning, not knowing she had already concluded plans to travel out of Abuja.
According to the source, some of her aides had gone to the EFCC headquarters on her behalf to inquire why a manhunt had been launched for her.
The source revealed that after inquiries from the top echelon of the anti-graft body, the aides assured the commission that she would report the following day.
Unknown to the commission, the senator had already concluded arrangements to escape from the heat being put on her by the commission.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that as a preemptive measure, the EFCC dispatched some of the operatives to her house, while another batch was sent to the airport.
However, information filtered to the senator that the EFCC was lying in wait for her at the airport as a result of which she subsequently detoured and travelled by road, thereby beating the commission�s operatives.
After waiting several hours at the airport, the operatives got wind that Senator Obasanjo-Bello was already in Lagos. The source added that the operatives were so demoralised that they could not explain the escape to their boss, who already had got information that the Senator had beaten them.
According to the top EFCC source, �we are waiting for her, even if she runs outside the country, we are going to get her, because we don�t know why she is running away from answering some questions from the commission. The first time we invited her and she reported, she was treated with utmost respect.�
The source further added that maybe she had already adjudged herself guilty. �After all, we don�t kill people here, but one thing remains clear, we must charge her to court as we have done to others.
�Why has she refused to return the money like others did? After all, she personally collected the money as stated in the statements of the other accused people. No matter how long it takes, we are waiting, but to avoid prosecution, no way.�
Meanwhile, the EFCC has reportedly directed its personnel to, as a matter of urgency, compile all the text messages between it and Senator Obasanjo-Bello.
Also to be transcribed are all the phone calls she made to the commission and the ones received by her from EFCC. The exhibits are to be put at the disposal of Nigerians to convince them that EFCC was actually determined to arrest the daughter of the immediate past president.
Later, the facts would be circulated to media houses in the form of advertorials before they would be added as an appendix to her charge sheet when eventually she is arrested and put on trial.
Nigerian Tribune gathered from a source at the commission that the team of lawyers from EFCC that would handle the case of the senator would be led by one Mr. James Binnang.
The source said the embattled senator made several telephone calls to EFCC in addition to sending several text messages asking to be allowed to come to the commission.
But the senator never honoured her promises. The Senate on Wednesday denied that Senator Obasanjo-Bello was hiding in the official residence of Senate President, David Mark.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja, Senate spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze, said the Senate was embarrassed by the report in the media. According to him, �the Senate as a body is highly embarrassed by some of the newspaper reports which alleged that Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello is hiding in the residence of the Senate President.
�I believe that any reporter that is in this National Assembly knows that there is no officer of the Senate, no Senator that is as accessible as the current Senate President. �The matter of Obasanjo as I told you yesterday is a matter that is almost beyond all of us.
�That matter is a matter that is being charged to court and I did tell you yesterday that when due process is followed, there is nobody who can find an excuse to say that she is missing.
�She is not missing. She is not hiding in the Senate President�s house. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, I am sure, will be ready to go to court to answer to charges against her if there are any and I also want to caution that when we want to do our reports, we should be mindful of the sensibilities of the other people because for us to splash in the newspapers today that we know the whereabouts of Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello,” he said.