- Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi State, is now faced with 16 new charges alongside two state officials
- The new charges involved an alleged N110.4 billion criminal breach of trust
- The charges include multiple accusations of misappropriating funds for property acquisitions in Abuja and Dubai
The ex-governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who had earlier faced a 19-count charge from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is now charged with a new 16-count charge alongside two officials of the Kogi State government, Abdulsalami Hudu and Umar Oricha.
The new charge, presented at a federal high court in Abuja on Thursday, September 26, involved an alleged criminal breach of trust amounting to N110,446,470,089, in violation of Sections 96 and 311 of the Penal Code Law Cap.89, Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963, with penalties outlined in Section 312.
Charge sheet reveals defendants used state funds for properties in Abuja, Dubai
According to the charge sheet as seen from TheCable, the defendants were accused of using funds from the Kogi State treasury to purchase properties in upscale areas of the federal capital territory (FCT) and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The first count of the charge alleges that in 2016, Bello, Oricha, and Hudu conspired together in Abuja “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 the second count, it was alleged that the defendants utilised a total sum of N950 million in 2023 “for the acquisition of a property known as No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja.
16 count charges against Bello, Hudu, Oricha
TheRadar outlined the other charges below:
1. In count three, the defendants were charged with using N100 million in 2021 “for the acquisition of a property known as No: 1160 Cadastral Zone CO3, Gwarimpa I District, Abuja.
2. In the fourth count, the defendants were accused of utilising N920 million in 2020 “for the acquisition of a property known as No: 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja.
3. The defendants were charged in count five with having used N170 million in 2022 “for the acquisition of a property known as Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
4. The sixth count alleged that they utilised N100 million in 2018 to purchase a property identified as No: 1773 Guzape District, Abuja.
5. The seventh count alleged that they misappropriated another N100 million in 2020 “for the acquisition of a property known as No: A02/176 Block 488B, Lome Street, Wuse 1, Abuja.
6. In count eight, they were alleged to have used N66 million in 2020 “for the acquisition of a property known as No: 739 Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2 at No. 13 Citiscape-Sharriff Plaza, Abuja.
7. In the ninth count, they were accused of misappropriating N550 million for the acquisition of a property at No: 2934 A Cadastral Zone A06, also referred to as No. 1 Ikogosi Spring Close, Maitama District, Abuja, in 2020.
8. In count 10, they were alleged to have spent N650 million to acquire a property known as No: 1058, measuring 1450.77 sqm in Cadastral Zone A08, Wuse 2, also referred to as No. 2 Durban Street, Abuja, in 2021.
9. The eleventh count claimed that the defendants misappropriated 5,698,888 Dirhams in 2022 “for the acquisition of a property located at Hotel Apartment Community: Burj Khalifa, lying, being and situated at Plot 160, Municipality NO 345-7562, Sky View Building No.401, Floor4, Dubai U.A. E.
10. Count 12 alleged that the defendants used N60 million to acquire a property located at Block 18 (337) Flat B Gwelo Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, in 2016.
11. Count 13 alleged that the defendants were involved in “dishonestly used the total sum of N310, 443,450.00 to tastefully renovate a property known as No: 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja,” in 2017.
12. According to count 14, the defendants were alleged of “dishonestly sent the total sum of $570,330.00 to account No. 4266644272 Domiciled with TD Bank, United States of America,” in 2021.
13. In count 15, they are additionally accused of having “sent the total sum of $556,265.00 to account No. 4266644272 domiciled with TD Bank, United States of America”, in 2021.
14. According to count 16, Bello alone was accused of having under his control “the total sum of N677, 848,000 unlawfully obtained from Bespoque Business Solutions Limited” sometime between 2017 and 2018, in Abuja.
Meanwhile, Yahaya Bello had sued the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the Supreme Court following his declaration as wanted.
This development emerged as the anti-graft agency intensified its efforts to pursue the ex-governor, insisting that he would face prosecution on the alleged N80.2 billion money laundering scheme.
Court of Appeal overrides Kogi High Court, permits EFCC to prosecute Yahaya Bello
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello filed multiple motions challenging the EFCC and court’s authority.
The Court of Appeal reaffirmed that no court can obstruct a law enforcement agency’s statutory functions, criticised the trial judge for releasing Bello despite having the charge in hand.