By Abubakar Yunusa
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stated that it is necessary to emphasize that Bello is not above the law and will be brought to justice as soon as possible.
The commission also disclosed that it will arraign the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello, before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday, April 18, 2024.
This was revealed in a statement shared on its social media handle on Wednesday night.
The statement read: “Bello will be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside three other suspects: Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu, on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering amounting to N80,246,470,088.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Naira, Eighty-Eight Kobo).
Bello’s arraignment follows a warrant of arrest and enrollment order granted to the EFCC by the court on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu (still at large), sometime in February 2016, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80,246,470,088.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Naira, Eighty-Eight Kobo), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity, to wit, criminal breach of trust, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended.”
Count 17 of the charges reads: “That you, Yahaya Bello, between 26th July 2021 and 6th April 2022, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, aided E-Traders International Limited to conceal the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00 (Three Billion, Eighty-One Million, Eight Hundred and Four Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty-Four Naira) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access Bank Plc, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of unlawful activity, to wit, criminal breach of trust, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a), 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
Count 18 of the charges reads: “That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, sometime in November 2021, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly procured E-Traders International Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330.00 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty Dollars) to account number 4266644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of unlawful activity, to wit, criminal breach of trust, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
The Commission’s attempt to execute the Warrant of Arrest lawfully obtained against Bello met stiff resistance on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
“The security cordon around the former governor’s residence in Abuja was breached by the current Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, who ensured that the suspect was spirited away in his official vehicle.”
“As a responsible law enforcement agency, the EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation, waiting for his arraignment on Thursday, April 18, 2024.”