Yamah, a member of Course 5, reportedly shot himself at home.
An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), SE John Obomeile Yamah, who died by suicide on July 1, 2024, at his Abuja residence, was allegedly pushed to the act by intense workplace pressure, intimidation, and victimisation by two senior officials within the agency, SaharaReporters has exclusively learned.
Yamah, a member of Course 5, reportedly shot himself at home.
According to multiple sources within the Commission, the late operative became the subject of internal persecution after processing a letter to a commercial bank requesting the lifting of a Post-No-Debit (PND) order on an account that had remained frozen for more than a decade.
The letter reportedly went through the desks of Nurudeen Bello, who was then Head of Administration at the EFCC Headquarters Investigations Office, and Aisha Abubakar, then-Zonal Commander of the Kaduna Command and now Acting Zonal Commander in Enugu. It later became the basis for an internal probe targeting Yamah.
“John Yamha sent out the letter after it was cleared through proper channels, including Madam Aisha’s (Abubakar) office,” one insider told SaharaReporters.
“But when the bank wrote back to confirm the directive due to the age of the PND order, Madam Aisha denied knowledge of the letter, even though it came from her command.”
In a move that insiders describe as punitive, Abubakar reportedly instructed Bello to launch an internal investigation into Yamah’s actions, accusing him of acting without proper authorisation.
The pressure and alleged scapegoating that followed reportedly contributed to Yamah’s deteriorating mental state, culminating in his suicide—a development that sparked outrage and concern among some EFCC personnel.
“The system failed him,” another source said. “He was harassed for doing his job.”
Another source who spoke to SaharaReporters recounted a disturbing conversation with Yamah the night before his death.
“John reached out to me around 10 pm the night before he committed suicide. He called me on my WhatsApp line and told me he was just leaving the office.
“From his voice, I could sense that he was in distress. He told me how Oga Nurudeen and Madam Aisha were trying to end his career at the Commission. He said he knelt for more than 30 minutes, crying and begging Oga Nurudeen and Madam Aisha to allow him to submit my resignation the following morning, but they refused and said he must go down, alone.
“I asked him what he meant by ‘go down alone’ and he started weeping and said his only offence was carrying out a lawful instruction,” the source stated.
However, the next morning, the tragic news of his death by suicide broke out. Yamah’s coursemates and colleagues expressed deep shock and sorrow.
“We’re devastated,” said one colleague. “John was honest, upright, and always by the book. His death was completely avoidable. We all know the real cause — the system and those who turned against him.”
A top EFCC officer lamented the culture of fear and impunity within the Commission.
“We all know that John’s death was caused by the acts of Oga Nurudeen (Bello). No one dares to speak, one of his coursemates lamented. This is EFCC. Anything goes by the time. In the headquarters, we all heard about the circumstances surrounding John’s death, the Chief Security Officer is aware, the Directors of HR and DIA are aware, and our coursemates are aware, yet no action was taken. No one is safe around him. Oga Nura is feared even by his colleagues and some of his seniors. He listens to no one. It seems he is bigger than the Commission.
According to the source, since the EFCC is a law enforcement agency, workers are restricted from speaking out.
“If you speak up, you could be next. They can lock you up in a cell for several months without even your family members knowing. Several officers are presently in detention, without any charge. Some were even detained using fake names to hide their identities.
“We only know about them when we visit the cells during incident duties. An external audit of the suspects in the Commission’s custody nationwide will reveal the extent of the tyranny in the commission,” the source added.
Several sources alleged that Bello, known widely as “Oga Nura,” was brought from Kaduna to the EFCC headquarters by Aisha Abubakar to “stamp her authority” over the staff.
“He is cold-hearted and can go to any length to ensure that he gets what he wants. In the Commission, his name is synonymous with wickedness, which is within the knowledge of every officer of the Commission. As a Course 3 officer, when Madam Aisha was in the headquarters, even the Director of Operations (DOPS) could not give him and the HOI Directives. The duo turned the commission into a living hell for all officers of the commission,” one of the sources said.
The allegations paint a picture of systemic abuse of power, a toxic work environment, and unchecked authority within EFCC ranks, which some insiders say contributed directly to Yamah’s death.
Another source stated, “When he (Nurudeen Bello) left Kaduna Zonal Command, we congratulated each other for several weeks, and at the same time reached out to our colleagues and friends at the headquarters to felicitate with them on the posting of a tyrant.
“The Kaduna Zonal Command can now breathe. Staff are happier and now looking forward to coming to work. At a point in time, we didn’t look forward to reporting to duty because Oga Nurudeen.”
According to the source, Bello’s style of investigation is alien to the Commission.
“When a complaint is received, he investigates both the complainant and the suspect. He orders arrests of suspects without invitation. We are all happy that he was transferred to the headquarters, and at the same time, sad for them.
“His record in Kaduna is nothing to write home about. He was only good at doing dirty jobs for the Zonal Commander. Making arrests without invitations or warrants, detention of suspects for a long time and intimidating officers and men,” the source added.
Yamah, born on December 6, 1983, was laid to rest on July 11, 2024.
SaharaReporters attempted to contact the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, for comments and a response to the allegations against the agency and some of its senior officers. However, he did not answer his calls or respond to a WhatsApp message, despite the message being marked as read.
