N10 billion money laundering: Kogi governor’s nephew arraigned, remanded in prison

One, Aliyu Bello, a cousin to Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello was on Thursday arraigned before Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja.

Bello was being prosecuted for allegedly laundering over N10 billion belonging to Kogi State government.

He was arraigned alongside another his co-accused, Dauda Sulaiman in prison pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.

They were remanded upon arraignment alongside one Abdulsalami Hudu, Cashier of Kogi State House Administration (now at large) on a 10-count charge of misappropriation and money laundering

Bello and Sulaiman are accused of fraudulently withdrawing a sum of N10, 270,556,800 (Ten Billion, Two Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-six Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira), from the Kogi State treasury, which they delivered to a Bureau de Change operator, Rabiu Tafada in Abuja to keep or change to foreign currencies for personal gains.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalami Hudu (now at large) between January and December, 2021, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court stole the sum of Ten billion, Two Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira.”