Political pressure and civil society groups in Kogi are outraged by the EFCC’s arrest of Yahaya Bello’s nephew, Ali Bello, for alleged money laundering.
The state government accused the EFCC of harassment and intimidation on Thursday, through its information commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo.
Political groups loyal to the state government and the ruling APC have now joined in condemning the EFCC for arresting and arraigning the governor’s nephew, sending an SOS to President Muhammadu Buhari, Leadership reports.
The Kogi Network for Emancipation and Transparency (KNET) yesterday urged President Buhari to summon the EFCC’s leadership to order.
According to a statement issued by the group’s executive director, Mr. Musa Opadotun, in Lokoja yesterday, the call became necessary if the current government is to continue fighting corruption.
In the statement, Opadotun specifically called President Buhari’s attention to the attitude of the commission’s operatives, whom he accused of persecuting Governor Bello.
“The call is pertinent because we have observed a certain pattern whereby some elements have decided to use the esteemed organisation to rubbish and malign the person and the office of Governor Yahaya Bello,” Opadotun wrote.
The group claimed that the EFCC had tried and failed numerous times to link Bello or any official of his government to any form of corruption, but had not given up.
According to the group, the governor’s persecution began when he (Bello) decided to run for president.
“We are worried because we feel that the fight against corruption was one of the key campaign promises of Mr. President but this is being eroded by the officials of the EFCC,” he said.
Yahaya Bello’s nephew, Kogi cashier sent to prison over alleged N10bn fraud
One Aliyu Bello, a nephew to Yahaya Bello, the Kogi State Governor, and one Dauda Sulaiman have been arraigned and remanded in prison pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions.
They were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday before Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja.
Also arraigned on a 10-count charge of misappropriation and money laundering was one Abdulsalami Hudu (now at large), a Cahier of Kogi State House Administration.
Bello and Sulaiman were accused of fraudulently withdrawing the sum of Ten Billion, Two Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-six Thousand Eight Hundred Naira (N10, 270,556,800), from the Kogi State treasury.
After making the said withdrawal, they delivered the money to a Bureau de Change operator, Rabiu Tafada in Abuja to keep or change to foreign currencies for personal gains.
They had pleaded not guilty to the charges labelled against them by the anti-graft agency.
Yahaya Bello’s nephew, cashier charges
One of the charges reads: “That you, ALI BELLO, DAUDA SULEIMAN AND ABDULSALAMI HUDU (NOW AT LARGE)between January and December, 2021, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured RABIU USMAN TAFADA to take possession of the total sum of N5,865,756,800 (Five Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty Five Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: criminal misappropriation from the treasury of Kogi State and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18 (c), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act”.
Another count reads: “That you, ALI BELLO, DAUDA SULEIMAN AND ABDULSALAMI HUDU (NOW AT LARGE) between January and December 2021, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court aided RABIU USMAN TAFADA to retain the total sum of N2,509,650,000.00 (Two Billion Five Hundred and Nine Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: Criminal Misappropriation from the treasury of Kogi State Government and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18 (a) 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act”.
