The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed fresh charges against the wanted former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, accusing him of N110bn fraud.
The EFCC had initially filed 19 charges against the former Kogi governor, along with his nephew Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu, for money laundering offences amounting to N80,246,470,088.88.
However, in the fresh 16 charges dated September 25, a copy which was obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday, the total sum of the same money laundering offences rose to N110,446,470,89.00.
Bello, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu were listed as first to third defendants.
He, alongside other defendants, was alleged to have bought a total of 12 houses in various locations in Abuja with the money.
The trio were alleged to have committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the total sum of N110, 446, 470, 089.00 entrusted to them.
Also, the EFCC said Bello, Oricha and Hudu in 2023, in Abuja, while having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly used the total sum of N950,000,000.00 for the acquisition of a property known as No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.
The offence, the EFCC said, was contrary to Section 311 of Penal Code Law Cap.89 Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963 and Punishable under Section 312 of the same Law.
The commission added, “That Bello, Oricha and Hudu sometime in 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly used the total sum of N100,000,000.00 for the acquisition of a property known as No: 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja.”
In addition, the anti-graft agency alleged the defendants, while they had access to the state treasury, dishonestly used the total sum of N920,000,000.00 to acquire a property on No: 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja.
Other properties the EFCC alleged the defendants to have acquired while in charge of the state treasury are Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja bought for N170,000,000.00 in 2022 and N100m worth of property in No 1773 Guzape District, Abuja in 2018; a N550m property in No: 2934A Cadastral Zone A06 also known as No.1 Ikogosi Spring Close, Maitama District, Abuja in 2020 among others.
The EFCC also said the defendants, in 2021, dishonestly separately sent the sum of $570,330.00 and $556,265.00 to account No. 4266644272, Domiciled with TD Bank, United States of America.
“That Bello, sometime between 2017 and 2018, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, had under your control the total sum of N677 848,000 unlawfully obtained from Bespoque Business Solution Limited,” the charge sheet added.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.