The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), the apex sociopolitical youth group in the South East geopolitical zone, has outrightly condemned the use of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to hunt down the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
The group advised the anti-graft agency to leave the immediate past Governor alone to enjoy his constitutional right and privilege to freedom to life and liberty.
The group said that anything less is an aberration and a travesty of the law.
In a statement issued in Owerri on Tuesday, the President General of COSEYL, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, said that the Coalition is alarmed over the recent persecution, vendetta, and witch-hunt of the former governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
He described it as unfortunate that the EFCC, which is an agency of the government established to serve the common good of the general public, has allowed itself to be used to serve personal aggrandizement.
He said: “The way and manner with which the EFCC is going about the issue of Yahaya Bello is a confirmation that they are after him because he is a youth who successfully completed his tenure as governor of Kogi State and showed interest in becoming the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Party (APC).”
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According to him, it is on record that while Alhaji Yahaya Bello held sway as governor of Kogi State, he performed beyond human expectations by delivering democracy dividends to the good people of Kogi State.
The PG said that the immediate past Governor empowered the youths via different programs which went a long way to bring youth restiveness and crime to a halt in the state.
He questioned why it is only Alhaji Yahaya Bello among all the former governors that is declared wanted by the EFCC when he is not the only former governor that left office.
He said, “The answer is not far-fetched. They are after him simply because he did his best to better the lots of the youths who were neglected by the present crop of leaders and so anyone who is a youth and does his best to empower the youths or aspires to any higher office is an enemy of the system.”
The Coalition maintained that of all the governors that just left office, it is only Alhaji Bello that is a youth among all of them.
He urged Nigerians to count their teeth with their tongue and figure out what is happening, which will help them understand that being a youth in the country is now a crime which, among others, will make you be declared wanted.
Ibem recalled that on Friday, April 19, 2024, in Aba of Abia State, a youth was shot dead in cold blood by the police for being a youth, adding that victims of brutality by the police, army, and other security agencies are all youths.
He said: “These and others are a confirmation that the youths are an endangered species in our society today.”
The PG called on all Nigerian youths and all lovers of democracy to stand up in defense of our democracy and the Nigerian youths who have been declared an endangered species for being youths.
He said: “Nigerian youths have spoken. We stand solidly behind Alhaji Yahaya Bello because he performed creditably well when he held sway as the executive governor of Kogi State.”
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