EFCC Slams Bello, Ex Kogi Governor, N100bn Fraud Charges

Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, is now charged with amended corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which claims she was involved in a potential N100 billion fraud scheme.

Daudu Suleiman and Alli Bello, the current governor of Kogi State's chief of staff, are also named in the charges.

The accusations are related to a purported N100 billion embezzlement from the State Government's funds in September 2015, which involved Yahaya Bello, the outgoing governor, months before she took office.

The trio—the former governor Yahaya Bello, Alli Bello, and Dauda Suleiman—are accused of plotting to divert an astounding N80,246,470,089 for personal use in September 2015, according to the allegations brought against them.

They are also accused of breaking the Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2011's Section 18(a) since they allegedly ought to have known that the money was obtained through deception and breach of public trust.

In addition, according to many charges in the indictment, Alli Bello and Dauda Suleiman are accused of hiding a sizeable amount of money from Rabiu Musa Tafada, a Bureau De Change (BDC) operator operating under Global Venture in Abuja.

In response to the 17-count amended indictment brought before James Omotoso, Justice of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Alli Bello and Dauda Suleman both filed pleas of not guilty.

The court case wasn't without controversy, though. Abubakar Aliyu, Alli Bello's attorney, objected to the amended charge being read since they had not received a copy of it and claimed the EFCC had violated Section 218 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 in doing so.

Rotimi Oyedepo, the EFCC's attorney, responded by pleading with the court to reject the defense's claims, claiming that the court had independently approved the alteration.

Emphasizing the need to move the trial along quickly, Omotoso issued an order deferring objections until the address stage, insisting that the defendants must be formally read the charge.

Omotoso, however, maintained the terms of the bail that Dauda Suleiman and Alli Bello had previously been given.