Court Summons Yahaya Bello over N110 Billion Fraud Allegation as EFCC Files 16 Fresh Charges
The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has summoned the former Governor of Kogi State, Mr Yahaya Bello, to appear before the court on October 24th, 2024.
The summons, issued by Justice Maryanne Anenih, follows the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) filing of a fresh 16-count charge against Bello, involving allegations of fraud amounting to N110 billion.
The court order was made in response to the EFCC’s application seeking to arraign Bello alongside two co-defendants, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.
According to ThisDay, the three are accused of misappropriating over N110 billion in public funds, allegedly used to acquire properties in both Abuja and Dubai.
The suit, numbered CR/7781/2024, accuses the defendants of criminal breach of trust, an offence punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.
The EFCC, represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Kemi Pinheiro, had filed the suit on September 25th, 2024, following investigations into the alleged financial misconduct.
The charges also detail the acquisition of a property at 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja, using N950 million of public funds in 2023.
Additionally, the defendants are accused of using over five million dirhams to purchase a property in Dubai’s Khalifa Municipality.
At Thursday’s hearing, the EFCC reported difficulties in serving the fresh charges to Bello, prompting the commission to request a public summons.
In a brief ruling, Justice Anenih granted the application, ordering that the summons be published in a widely circulated newspaper and pasted at Bello’s last known address and in conspicuous places around the court premises.
The charges against Bello and his co-defendants span multiple years, detailing alleged financial misconduct between 2016 and 2023.
One of the charges reveals that in 2021, the trio transferred $570,330 to an account at TD Bank in the United States.
A further allegation in count 15 states that an additional $556,265 was transferred to the same account in 2021.
The EFCC also alleged that between 2017 and 2018, the former governor had control over N677.8 million unlawfully obtained from a company known as Bespoque Business Solution Limited.
This case follows several unsuccessful attempts by the EFCC to arraign Yahaya Bello on similar charges.
Over the past five months, the anti-graft agency has made multiple attempts to charge him with money laundering to the tune of N80 billion in a separate case before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
