One of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, saddled with the responsibility of tackling, and prosecuting financial crime and other form of fraud and its related cases has accused the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello of embezzling and misappropriating over N110 billion belong to the people of Kogi State.
Bello was charged alongside other 2 accomplices at the Federal High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on a 16-count charge.
The 2 co-defendants are Mr Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu which the anti-graft agency said, were used in laundering funds to acquire choice properties in both Abuja and Dubai.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said the defendants deploy various methods to successfully launder money, even as they send large sums of money to foreign bank accounts, stating that it was in clear breach of trust and constituted a serious offence punishable under the Nigerian law.
The EFCC traced the fund diversion to properties allegedly acquired by Yahaya Bello located in Khalifa, Municipality, Dubai, and a property located at No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
Count one of the charges reads: That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu sometime in 2016 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court agreed amongst yourselves to cause to be done an illegal act to wit: criminal breach of trust in respect of the total sum of N110, 446, 470, 089.00 (One Hundred and Ten Billion, Four Hundred and Forty-six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eighty-Nine Naira) entrusted to you”.
In count two, they were alleged to have, sometime in 2023, in Abuja, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly used the total sum of N950,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) for the acquisition of a property known as No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.
In count 11, the defendants were alleged to have used over Five million Dirhams to acquire a property in Khalifa, Municipality, Dubai.
Count 14 reads: “That you Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu sometime in 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly sent the total sum of $570,330.00 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty United State Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 Domiciled with TD Bank, United State of America.”
Count 15 claimed that the defendants, sometime in 2021, in Abuja, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly sent the total sum of $556,265.00 (Five Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty Five United State Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 Domiciled with TD Bank, United States of America.
Meanwhile, the former governor in count 16 was alleged to have sometime between 2017 and 2018, in Abuja, had under his control the total sum of N677, 848,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Seven Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand Naira) unlawfully obtained from Bespoque Business Solution Limited.
This is not the first time Bello has faced corruption allegations. The EFCC has been pursuing him for several months over separate charges of misappropriating N80.2 billion. However, Bello has repeatedly refused to appear in court to answer the charges.
Meanwhile Yahaya Bello had been on the wanted list of the EFCC and had not surrendered himself for prosecution since April, 2024.
