Crime
N110 billion: Shocking details of how Yahaya Bello stole funds to acquire choice properties in Dubai emerge
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.
He governed Kogi State for eight years
Groups operating under the aegis of the Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE) and Campaign for Democracy (CD) South East Zone have called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to release ritualists and native doctors in detention.
The groups said, the Qnambra Governor should use the three years anniversary of his office to release the ritualists who have been in detention in the government house.
The appeal was contained in a joint statement by the Executive Director of the Human Rights body, CD South East Zonal Chairman Dede Uzor A.Uzor, the groups said he should use their release as a gift to their families in this season and occasion of three years in office.
The group named the native doctors as: Akwa Okuko tiwara Aku in Oba, Eke Hit from Okija and Onyeze Jesus from Nkpor.
The trio were arrested in connection with “spurious and obnoxious social media instigation on our youths” which painted a very bad image for the society.
The group lamented that the native doctors encouraged ostentatious lifestyle and crime, making our youths to believe that hard work doesn’t pay unless you engaged in unwholesome criminal activities like ‘okeite’ or ‘Awale, yahoo plus’ among other false lifestyles.
It also said “their activities promoted serious insecurity and tension in the state with teeming young people turning to such criminal and outlandish lifestyles.
“But since their arrest, we believe they have learnt a big lesson”.
The group advised that Soludo should make them sign undertaking with the hope of discontinuing such crude, unethical and diabolical activities in line with the extant laws of the State,” they appealed to the Governor.
HURIDE said Governor Soludo should grant amnesty to them in the spirit of this successful celebration of three years in office, saying that he has done so much to improve the lives of citizens of the State.
CAPITAL POST recalled that the Soludo administration has been clamping on criminal elements amid high number of missing persons believed to be orchestrated by ritualists in the State.
Crime
Ghana’s anti-drug agency nabs Nigerian drug kingpin, Uchechukwu Chima, seizes $2.1m worth of cocaine, heroin
Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has arrested a drug kingpin of Nigerian origin from the South East , Uchechukwu Chima.
The commission operatives raided his hideout in Accra.
Chima, who is 56 years was arrested on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, following the discovery of 192kg of cocaine and 0.42kg of heroin, valued at $2.1 million on the streets.
The acting Director of of Public Affairs and International Relations at NACOC, Francis Amoah speaking on the matter in Accra, confirmed that the substances seized were indeed cocaine and heroin.
Authorities believe Chima has played a significant role in previous drug-related operations in the country.
He said the operation marks a critical success in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking in Ghana.
“NACOC remains committed to making the country a hostile environment for drug trade and ensuring the safety of both Ghanaians and the international community.”
The Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, attached to Police Mobile Force, 70 Squadron, Kabba today Friday 14th March, 2025 foiled abduction of passengers along Ayere road. This is consequent upon a distress that some armed hoodlums blocked the road in an attempt to abduct some passengers in a Vehicle.
On receipt of the distress call, reinforcement teams from Sharper Corner pindown were promptly mobilized and sent to the scene which equally engaged the hoodlums, and owing to the superior fire power of the Police, the hoodlums fled into the bush and abandoned their victims who were rescued by the Police.
The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, has ordered the deployment of additional operational and tactical assets of the Command to embark on thorough combing of the surrounding bushes with a view to apprehending the hoodlums and bringing them to deserved justice.
The CP while commending the unwavering dedication by the men of 70 PMF, Kabba, assured the public that the Police will not rest on its oars in the fight against criminality in the State.
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