Human rights activist Comrade Daniel Atayi has publicly apologized to former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello for participating in social media attacks against him based on accusations from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Atayi, known for his advocacy on social justice, admitted regret for accepting the EFCC’s claims without independent verification.
In a viral video, Atayi disclosed that his own investigation revealed Bello was being politically persecuted rather than subjected to legitimate legal scrutiny. He criticized Nigeria’s anti-corruption system for being biased, favoring politically connected individuals while targeting those without such support.
Atayi argued that the anti-corruption efforts only seem effective against politically unprotected figures, citing other high-profile cases, like former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, which he believes were ignored by the EFCC.
He shared his personal revelation during a trip to Lokoja, where he learned from locals about Bello’s positive contributions to infrastructure, security, and governance. Atayi acknowledged that his earlier criticisms were misguided and called for more careful investigation of claims before accepting them as truth.
“I want to apologize to Yahaya Bello and the people of Kogi. This was a case of political manipulation, not genuine corruption,” Atayi concluded.