November 27, 2024
By Idris Buba
Former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who has been on a running battle with the Economic Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, over a N110billion fraud, on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to a 16-count charge preferred against him by the commission.
Bello, who detained yesterday by the EFCC, when he surrendered himself after a protracted evasiveness, was docked before trial Justice Maryann Anenih of a High Court in Abuja, alongside with Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu as co- defendants
Bello and the two others, were accused of complicity in a N110billion fraud, money belonging to Kogi state.
The charge against the defendants, marked: CR/7781, borders on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and possession of unlawfully obtained property.
READ MORE; Yahaya Bello once again fails to appear in court over alleged N82bn fraud
While the co-defendants, were accused of transferring $570,330 and $556,265 to TD Bank, USA, and possessing unlawfully obtained property, including N677.8 million from Bespoque Business Solution Limited.
EFCC alleged that the former governor, who governed Kogi state between 2007 and 2023 misused state funds to acquire properties, including No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja (N950 million), No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja (N100 million), and No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja (N920 million).
Other properties the defendants allegedly acquired with funds stolen from the Kogi state treasury, included Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N170 million), Hotel Apartment Community: Burj Khalifa, Dubai (Five Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Dirhams), Block 18, Gwelo Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N60 million), and No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N310.4 million).
