Alleged N3 billion Money Laundering: EFCC witness tenders exhibits against Yahaya Bello’s nephew, others

Femi Remigus, a compliance officer at Zenith Bank Plc, was presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as its sixth prosecution witness before Justice Obiora Egwuatu. 

Bello is currently the Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor Usman Dodo. 

Naijaonpoint reports that the EFCC had on February 8, 2023, arraigned Ali Bello, Abba Daudu, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, and Rashida Bello (at large) on 18 counts of criminal misappropriation and money laundering, amounting to N3,081,804,654.00. 

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, ALI BELLO, ABBA DAUDU, YAKUBU SIYAKA ADABENEGE, IYADA SADAT, RASHIDA BELLO (at large), sometime in June 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, procured E-Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00 (Three Billion, Eighty-One Million, Eight Hundred and Four Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty-Four Naira), 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 sections 18(a), 15(20)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.” 

The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges, paving the way for the trial. 

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) led Remigus in evidence. 

NAIJAONPOINT explained how millions of naira were deposited into Komfort Koncept Company’s bank account from the bank accounts of different local government areas in the state on different dates in 2018. 

“On October 4, 2018, there were 9 credits or inflows into the account of Komfort Koncept Company,” NAIJAONPOINT said, adding that N18,629,944 came from Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State. 

“The next one was from Adavi Local Government, N20,887,537. The next one from Kogi Local Government, N17,496,929. The next one was from Kabba LGA, N18,460,565. The next one was from Ankpa Local Government, N17 million. Yagba West Local Government credited N18,234,063, while Ofu Local Government credited N21,363,633,” the bank staff said. 

The EFCC is prosecuting defendant Ali Bello in another similar case.  

The sister case is before Justice James Omotosho.