Nigeria: Alleged N110.4bn Fraud - Court Takes One Witness, Adjourns Ex-Gov Bello's Trial

30 January 2025
Daily Trust (Abuja)
By John Chuks Azu

An FCT High Court has adjourned the trial of a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, after taking one witness in the money laundering charges.

Justice Maryanne Aninih, in a ruling on Wednesday, said she could only take one witness as she had other things lined up after the prosecution sought to call five witnesses.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed a 16-count charge against Bello and two officials of the Kogi State government--Abdulsalami Hudu and Umar Oricha--on allegations they conspired to use state government funds to acquire properties in high-brow areas within the FCT and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, worth N110.4 billion.

The witness, Fabian Nwora, a property developer with Efab Property Nigeria Limited, narrated that he sold the property No 1 Ikogosi Street, Maitama to Shehu Bello but observed that the name on the sale agreement was Dr Bello Ohiani, not Shehu Bello.

Earlier, defence counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), informed the court that the prosecution had not made the statements on oath of the defendants available to the defence team.

Corroborating this, counsel to Oricha, Abubakar Aliyu (SAN), also called for the provision of statements.

The case was adjourned on April 3, 24 and May 6, 2025.

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