The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has expanded its corruption charges to include Yahaya Bello, the former Governor of Kogi State, in a case involving an alleged N100 billion fraud. Alongside Bello, Alli Bello, the Chief of Staff to the current Governor of Kogi State, and Daudu Suleiman, have also been implicated in the amended charges.
The allegations suggest a misappropriation of about N100 billion from the Kogi State Government in September 2015, with Yahaya Bello being implicated just months before he took office. The accused are alleged to have conspired to divert N80,246,470,089 for personal use, an action that violates Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 due to the funds being derived from acts of fraud and breach of trust.
Further charges accuse Alli Bello and Dauda Suleiman of collaborating with Rabiu Musa Tafada, a Bureau De Change operator, to conceal a significant amount of money, thereby engaging in money laundering.
When presented before Justice James Omotoso of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Alli Bello and Dauda Suleman pleaded not guilty to the 17-count amended charge.
However, the legal proceedings were not without contention. Alli Bello’s legal representative, Abubakar Aliyu, raised objections to the reading of the amended charge, citing the EFCC’s failure to comply with Section 218 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, as they had not received a copy of the amendment.
In response, Rotimi Oyedepo, EFCC counsel urged the Court to dismiss the defense’s arguments, asserting that the Court had autonomously endorsed the amendment.
Omotoso emphasized his commitment to expediting the trial and ordered that objections be deferred until the address stage, maintaining that the charge must be formally read to the defendants.
Omotoso, however, upheld the bail conditions previously granted to Alli Bello and Dauda Suleiman.
