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.
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EFCC charges
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.”
Bench warrant
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:
- “An order granting leave to the complainant/applicant to effect service of the charge together with the proof of evidence on the defendant by substituted means to wit; by pasting the charge at the last known address of the defendant within the jurisdiction of this honourable court being: 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
- “An order directing and/or issuing an arrest warrant for the immediate arrest of the defendant for the purpose of bringing him before this honourable court for arraignment.”
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,
- “It is hereby ordered as follows:
- “That an 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.
- “The case is adjourned to 18th day of April, 2024 for arraignment.”
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.”
What you should know
- The planned arraignment of the Kogi State ex-governor comes amid the ongoing trial of his nephew, Alli Bello, Daudu Suleiman and another for fraud.
- They were accused of diverting public funds to the tune of 80 billion Naira.
- In that case, Yahaya Bello was mentioned as an accomplice in some of the counts
- Earlier in the day, security agencies had surrounded Yahaya Bello’s residence in Abuja.
- Nairametrics reports that a state high court in Kogi had also restrained the EFCC from arresting or prosecuting Yahaya Bello.
- Both the state high court and the federal high court are courts of coordinate jurisdiction and the court’s verdict in Kogi is what Yahaya Bello is holding unto to avoid arrest.
