The EFCC has revealed allegations against former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello, accusing him of using state funds to purchase properties in Dubai and Abuja. Get the full details on the investigation and its implications.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disclosed allegations against the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello, regarding his purported misuse of state funds to purchase prime real estate in both the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and Abuja, Nigeria.
In a newly filed 16-count indictment, it is alleged that Bello utilized over five million Dirhams to secure a property located in Khalifa, Municipality, Dubai.
In the second count, Bello, along with Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, is accused of misappropriating a total of N950,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) in 2023 while overseeing the state’s treasury, specifically for the acquisition of a property situated at No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.
The EFCC has brought forth this new 16-count indictment against the former governor at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, alongside two co-defendants.
The charges, referenced as CR/7781/2024, allege that Bello, Oricha, and Hudu misappropriated over N110 billion of public funds to acquire multiple properties in both Abuja and Dubai.
Dated September 24 and filed on September 25 by the EFCC’s legal representative, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, the indictment accuses the defendants of criminal breach of trust, an offense under Section 312 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.
The first count states: “That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha, and Abdulsalami Hudu, at some point in 2016 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, conspired to commit an illegal act, specifically criminal breach of trust concerning 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.”
READ ALSO: Yahaya Bello Faces Fresh N110.4bn Fraud Charges from FG
In count two, it was alleged that at some point in 2023, in Abuja, while exercising control over the state’s treasury, the defendants dishonestly utilized a total of N950,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) for the purchase of a property located at No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.
In count eleven, the defendants were accused of using over Five Million Dirhams to acquire a property situated in Khalifa, Municipality, Dubai.
Count fourteen states: “That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha, and Abdulsalami Hudu, at some time in 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, while having control over the state’s treasury, unlawfully transferred the total sum of $570,330.00 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty United States Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 held with TD Bank, United States of America.”
Count fifteen alleges that the defendants, at some point in 2021, in Abuja, while having dominion over the state’s treasury, unlawfully transferred the total sum of $556,265.00 (Five Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty-Five United States Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 held with TD Bank, United States of America.
Additionally, in count sixteen, the former governor was alleged to have, at some time between 2017 and 2018, in Abuja, unlawfully controlled the total sum of N677,848,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy-Seven Million, Eight Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand Naira) obtained from Bespoque Business Solution Limited.
As of now, no date has been set for the arraignment of the former governor regarding these new charges.
It is noteworthy that the EFCC has made four attempts in the past five months to bring Bello before the court to respond to the alleged fraud charges amounting to N80.2 billion, but these efforts have been unsuccessful due to his continuous refusal to appear before the federal high court in Abuja.
