The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disclosed it will arraign Yahaya Adoza Bello, a former Kogi State Governor, before a federal high court sitting in Abuja on Thursday, alongside others.
EFCC disclosed this via a statement on its official Facebook page on Wednesday.
The ex-governor will be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside his nephew, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19- count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80. 246 billion.
The anti-graft agency claims the defendants diverted public funds.
Some of the counts read:
“That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, 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, 088.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eight 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 Bello between 26th July 2021 to 6th April 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court aided E-Traders International Limited to conceal 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) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access BankPlc, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a), 15(2) (d) 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 November 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly procured E-Traders international Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330.00 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty 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 breach of trust 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.”
Bello’s arraignment follows a warrant of arrest and enrolment order granted the EFCC by Justice Nwite earlier today.
The order was granted in the motion ex-parte marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024, and filed by the EFCC lead counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo.
The EFCC counsel argued that the ex-governor needed to be apprehended by security agencies so as to fast-track his arraignment in court and immediate trial.
The anti-graft agency maintained that the judge should either order Bello’s arrest or issue a public summons commanding the defendant to appear before the court.
The other reliefs read:
Justice Nwite said the fact deposed by the EFCC had persuaded him to grant the request.
He subsequently ordered that the former governor be arraigned before him on April 18, in line with the EFCC’s request.
The judge ruled,
The judge ruled,
Furthermore, the EFCC urged the public to note that the ex-governor was not above the law.
The statement read:
“The Commission’s attempt to execute the Warrant of Arrest lawfully obtained against Bello met stiff resistance on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The security cordon around the former governor’s residence in Abuja was breached by the current Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo who ensured that the suspect was spirited away in his official vehicle. As a responsible law enforcement agency, the EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation, waiting for his arraignment on Thursday, April 18, 2024.
“It is needful to state that Bello is not above the law and would be brought to justice as soon as possible.”