The EFCC has issued a Red Notice for Bello to Interpol based on an arrest warrant from a federal high court in Abuja. A Red Notice is a request for law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or surrender. This means Bello can be arrested in any country he visits, except Micronesia, North Korea, Palau, and Tuvalu, which are not Interpol members.

In April, the EFCC declared Bello wanted over an alleged N80 billion fraud. Before this development, EFCC operatives had barricaded his Abuja residence to arrest him. During the siege, Ododo reportedly helped Bello evade arrest. Following the incident, Lateef Fagbemi, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), warned against obstructing the EFCC in its operations.

Subsequently, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) placed Bello on a watchlist, and police headquarters ordered the withdrawal of officers attached to him. Ola Olukoyede, the EFCC chairman, later alleged that Bello withdrew $720,000 from Kogi’s coffers to pay his child’s school fees in advance. The anti-graft agency also filed a 19-count charge against him for alleged money laundering. However, the arraignment was stalled due to Bello's absence.