Yahaya Bello

The immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello will be arraigned at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, today, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The governor will be arraigned alongside three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu.

The EFCC is arraigning them before Justice Emeka Nwite on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80, 246,470, 088.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eight Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo).

They will face 19 counts of alleged fraud in a charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024 filed on March 6, 2024, by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Kemi Pinheiro.

Pinheiro and two other SANs – Jubrin Okutepa and Rotimi Oyedepo – will lead seven other lawyers from the EFCC against the defendants.

Count 1 of the charge reads: “That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu (Still at large), sometime in February 2016, in Abuja, conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80,246,470,089.88 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.”

Count 5: “That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, sometime in 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, indirectly procured one Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, Rabiu Musa Tafada Global Ventures and Abdulsalam Hudu (still at large) to use the sum of N170,000,000.00 for the acquisition of a property lying, being and situate at block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: criminal breach of trust, and you thereby committed an offense contrary to section 18(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”

The EFCC also accused Bello of procuring a firm to transfer the aggregate sum of US$570,330.00 to an account number in TD Bank, United States of America, “which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: Criminal breach of trust.”

The last count accused the former Kogi State Governor of indirectly procuring E-Traders International Limited, Aleshua Solutions Services, Whales Oil and Gas, Forza Oil and Gas, Dada Grand Merchant Limited to transfer $556,265 to account number 4266644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America “which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: Criminal Misappropriation and you thereby committed an offense contrary to section15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.”