Despite Yahaya Bello’s Threat, EFCC To Arraign Ex-Kogi Gov Thursday Over Alleged N80.2bn Money Laundering

Despite his threat of likely breakdown of law and order, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced that it will on Thursday, April 18, 2024 arraign the ex-Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Bello would be arraigned according to the EFCC over alleged N80.2bn money laundering when he was governor of Kogi.

He had warned soon after he escaped from his home in Abuja on Wednesday that court orders should be respected otherwise it would be an invitation to anarchy.

His warning followed what he said was a definite court order from the State High Court of Kogi.

The Kogi State High Court had earlier granted the ex-governor interim injunction.

But the EFCC said his arraignment would be as a result of another court order from the Federal High Court in Abuja on wednesday.

Operatives of the EFCC had wanted to arrest Bello on Wednesday and were joined by the DSS and police when they laid siege to his House in Abuja.

The governor stayed in his residential fortress until his predecessor, Usman Ododo came in and smuggled him away forcing the security operatives to fire warning shots in their bid to force him out.

But the EFCC in a statement by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, on Wednesday evening said Bello would be arraigned at the Federal High Court following a court order.

The statement said he would be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside three others, the commission said are suspects.

The anti-graft agency named the suspects as Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu all “on 19- count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80, 246,470, 088.88( Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eight Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo).”

The EFCC said count one of the charges is 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 and Eight Nine 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 read: “That you Yahaya Bello between 26th July 2021 to 6th April 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court aided E-Traders International Limited to conceal the aggregate sum of N3081,804,654.00( Three Billion, Eighty One Million Eight Hundred and Four Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Four Naira) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access BankPlc, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of 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 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 said its 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,” the statement added.

It emphasised that, “It is needful to state that Bello is not above the law and would be brought to justice as soon as possible.”