N10 billion fraud: Bureau De Change Operator exposes Yahaya Bello, nephew in Court, say they used to change dollars, borrow money from him

As prosecution of the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, his nephew and now Chief of Staff, Ali Bello and Dauda Suleiman continued in the Justice James Omotosho-led Federal High Court in Abuja, the prosecution witness three (PW3) has exposed how the suspects frequently visit his Bureau De Change office to change dollars, buy money and borrow from him on behalf of the governor.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is prosecuting the trio for allegedly stealing N10 billion from Kogi State government when Yahaya Bello was governor.

The witness and a Bureau De Change Operator who was identified as Rabiu Musa Tafada and the suspects were in Court on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.

The witness testified in Court before the prosecuting and defence counsels that the Ali Bello and Suleiman who are standing trial for money laundering to the tune of N10 billion are his customers.

Tafada whose office is located at plot 2339, Ladi Kwali Street, Wuse zone 4, Abuja operates a Bureau de change business known as “Rabiu Tafada Global Ventures, revealed during his testimony when led by Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN that he recognized the second defendant because he usually comes to his office or send someone to do business with him.

He began his testimony by saying that sometime in 2023, the EFCC came to his office and they took some documents which included a hard copy notebook and an exercise book . The items were shown to him and he admitted that the items were the documents taken by the Commission.

In view of his submission, Oyedepo sought the permission of the court to tender the items as evidence but the defence objected to its admissibility. Defence counsel, Nureini Jimoh, SAN, noticed the presence of some loose sheets among the items presented by the witness, asking the court for time to look into the items.

However, Justice Omotosho in his ruling, struck out the objection of the defence stating that parties can only make observation and reservation but cannot stop the admissibility of documents urging them to tender any objection in their written addresses.

The items were admitted in evidence as Exhibit f & g

Oyedepo, in his further cross examination, led the witness to examine the contents of exhibits shown to him. Tafada revealed that every name in the record book either came to change money or is in need of cash which was normally effected through a transfer to his account number. He told the court that, although he was not the one that recorded the transaction in the exhibits as he cannot write, his boys in his office recorded on his behalf.

“I know the face of the second defendant. He is Dawud, because he comes to either sell, buy or borrow money from me. On the June 10, 2022, I directed one of my boys to record Sunny Benghazi in the book and I am familiar with the name and the transaction was Fifteen Million Naira (N15m), but I cannot remember what happened that day, maybe he came to change dollar to naira or naira to dollar. Also on 17 June 2022, the second defendant brought a paper that I should give Bashir Falala Fifty Nine Million (59m) and Forty Million (40m) and I gave him the money. Also sometimes he will send his driver and sometimes he comes himself” he said.

Earlier, the prosecution called the attention of the court to an amended charge filed before the court which had been served to parties involved, in the same vein the defense equally drew the attention of the court to a counter- affidavit they filed.

Justice Omotosho, after listening to the testimony of PW3, adjourned the matter to February 13, 2024 for continuation of trial.