FACT CHECK: Is this former Kogi State governor, in a multi-million-naira Mercedes Benz after he was declared wanted by the EFCC?

Recently, an X user (Formerly Twitter) posted a twenty-five seconds video with the caption: N85 Billion Fra*ud: Ex Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, Captured Chilling In His Multi-Million Naira Mercedes Benz.

The video is circulating alongside a claim that the ex-governor is moving freely despite being declared wanted by the Anti-Graft Agency Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over corruption allegation. As of the time of compiling this report, the video has garnered 1.1 million views with over 4.1 likes, over 2,000 reposts, and 1,000 comments. 

Screenshot of the Post on X

Claim: Yahaya Bello in a multimillion-naira Mercedes Benz after he was declared wanted by the Anti-graft Agency (EFCC)

 Verification

CDD War Room subjected the footage to a Google reverse image search and the result shows that the video has been online since June 20, 2020, when he was still the governor of Kogi State. Meanwhile, the video was 30 seconds, not 24 seconds. 

Further search to verify the authenticity of the footage by CDD War Room shows that SocietyNow published the 30-second video on June 20, 2020, with the headline ‘’Video: Kogi Gov Yahaya Bello Leisures In His Brand New, Armoured -Mercedes Benz ( S Class)’’

In addition, CDD War Room found that on December 8, 2020, First Weekly Magazine reported that Yahaya Bello Bought N98 Million Worth of Mercedes Benz After Reducing Workers Pay To 40%.  

Also, On December 8, 2020, Yemoja News published a report with the headline:  Wickedness! Gov Yahaya Bello Blows N98 Million On Mercedes Benz As LG Workers Get 4k Monthly Salary!

However, on April 18, 2024, the EFCC declared Yahaya Bello wanted in connection with alleged money laundering. On April 17, 2024, officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) laid siege to the residence of the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, located at Wuse Zone 4 of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja but could not arrest him as the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo, arrived at the scene, forcing the security officials to leave the premises. Bello has been on the run since then.

 VERDICT: MISLEADING

The claim that footage shows Yahaya Bello, the former Kogi State governor, in his multi-million-Naira Mercedes Benz after he was declared wanted by the EFCC is misleading; CDD War Room findings indicate that the video has been online since June 20, 2020.