Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has filed 19 criminal counts against a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
The charge filed at the Federal High Court 9 in Abuja, with charge FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024, and dated March 9, 2024, listed Yahaya Adoza Bello as the sole Defendant while the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the complainant.
The EFCC in the charge obtained by SaharaReporters, accused the ex-governor of conversion of a total of N80,246,470,089.88 being funds belonging to the Kogi State government in February 2016 to himself, an offence which is contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.
Bello was also accused of indirectly using one Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu to use the sum of N950 million being proceeds of crime for the acquisition of a property lying, being and situated at No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja
Meanwhile, Justice Emeka Nwite in ex-parte order granted the EFCC a warrant to immediately arrest and bring the former governor to court today for arraignment.
“That the order of this honourable court is hereby made directing and /or issuing a warrant for the immediate arrest of the Defendant for the purpose of bringing him before this honourable court for arraignment.
“That case is adjourned to 18th day of April 2024 for arraignment,” the Justice Nwite held.
The EFCC’s spokesman Dele Oyewale in a statement on Wednesday, announced that ex-governor Bello will be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside his nephew, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19 counts bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80. 246 billion.
The anti-graft agency said the defendants diverted public funds.
Some of the counts read: “That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu (Still at large), sometime in February, 2016, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo), 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 offence contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.
“That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, sometime in 2023, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, indirectly procured one Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu (still at large) to use the sum of N950,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) for the acquisition a property lying, being and situate at No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, 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 offence contrary to section 18 (c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
“That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, sometime in February, 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly procured one Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu (still at large) to use the sum of N100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira), for the acquisition a property lying, being and situate at No. 1160, within Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, 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 offence contrary to section 18(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
“That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, sometime between 2018 to 2020, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court indirectly procured one Yakubu Siyaka Adegbenga, Iyadi Sadat and Abba Adaudu to use the sum of N920,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Twenty Million Naira), for the acquisition a property lying, being and situate at No.2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, 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 offence contrary to section 18(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
“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 (One Hundred and Seventy Million Naira) 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 offence contrary to section 18(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
“That you Yahaya Adoza Bello sometime in between, 2022 and 2023 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court indirectly procured E-Traders International Limited, Aleshua Solutions Services, Whales Oil and Gas, Forza Oil and Gas, Dada Grand Merchant Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $556,265 (Five Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty Five Dollars) 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 offence contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.”
