By Olusegun Olanrewaju
It’s another dry season in Kogi State as an Abuja court judge yesterday sent the nephew of Governor Yahaya Bello to the slammer.
Justice Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, remanded Aliyu Bello and one Dauda Sulaiman in prison pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions over an alleged case of money laundering.
The duo was remanded upon arraignment alongside a cashier of the Kogi State House Administration (now at large), Abdulsalami Hudu, on a ten-count charge of misappropriation and money laundering.
Bello and Sulaiman had been accused of fraudulently withdrawing a whopping sum of N10.27bn from the Kogi State treasury.
The monies were reportedly delivered to a Bureau de Change operator/collaborator, Rabiu Tafada, in Abuja, to keep or change to foreign currencies for personal gains.
Charging the suspects, one of the premises read: “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 N5.86bn, 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.”
According to the prosecutor, “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”.
Responding, the suspects pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
This prompted the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, to ask the court to fix a date for the commencement of the trial.
But counsel to the second and third defendants, Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, informed the court of his application for the bail of the defendants.
Justice Omotosho granted the request and admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N1bn each.
The convicts were also requested to produce two sureties who are to provide a bond of N2 billion each and have a landed property valued at N500m.
The court directed that the title of the properties should be registered with the chief registrar of the court.
The sureties and defendants were also requested to submit their bank statements and international passports to the chief registrar of the court.
The sureties must also produce an affidavit of means and evidence of tax clearance for at least three years.
Justice Omotosho thereafter sent the defendants to the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.
The court adjourned the matter to February 6, 2023, for hearing
*Kogi: ‘There’s desperation to tarnish our image through media trial’
Responding to the issue, the Kogi State government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, yesterday debunked the allegation of money laundering levelled against it by EFCC.
The state government described it as sustenance of the persecution of the government by the Bawa-led commission.
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In a swift reaction, the state government observed that the commission, confronted with the latest allegations, “had shown clearly that it was desperately seeking to save its face after the commission hit a roadblock in its N20bn Sterling Bank media trial.
The commissioner, however, noted that “just as with the Sterling Bank affair when the commission went to the media before proper investigation, the EFCC was again set to embarrass itself and its legacy by again jumping to the media to continue its persecution of the Kogi government.”
The Commissioner insisted that no money belonging to the state government was stolen, advising Nigerians to ask the EFCC if its ‘biased’ corruption searchlight was only meant for Kogi State.
“The media trial by the EFCC is a calculated and orchestrated plan to embarrass the State Government by going after its Officials and Associates with trumped up charges to satisfy the destructive fangs of their paymasters,” Fanwo noted.
However, in its reaction, the state government said the inclination of the EFCC was against the acknowledgment of due process and financial accountability given to the Kogi State Government by international organisations.
It particularly cited the recent honour accorded the Kogi State Government by the World Bank-funded SFTAS project, in which Kogi was lifted above peers in financial accountability.
The statement read in parts; “Our attention has been drawn to a press statement on the website of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to the effect that they arraigned some persons who they alleged were linked with laundering monies belonging to the Government of Kogi State.
“In as much as we would not want to delve into the depth of the matter which is now sub judice, it is pertinent to draw the attention of the general public to the fact that the desperation of the EFCC to crucify Kogi State at all costs may have landed them in another trouble.
“Unlike the EFCC that has been known for serial contempt of court under the current leadership; we are committed to allowing the law to take its due course on the matter and our innocence, again, proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The government further noted, “It would be recalled that this same EFCC once accused the Kogi State Government of stashing N20bn bailout funds in a fixed deposit account in Sterling Bank.
“When the legal fireworks were about to ruffle their biased feathers, they quickly backed out and claimed the money had been returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria. To date, they have not shown Nigerians any proof of the return, even when Sterling Bank Plc has under oath denied the return of any monies belonging to the Kogi State Government. It is trite that what does not exist cannot be taken or returned.”
The state government insisted, “The media trial by the EFCC is a calculated and orchestrated plan to embarrass the State Government by going after its Officials and Associates with trumped up charges to satisfy the destructive fangs of their paymasters.
“Let it be on record that no money belonging to the Kogi State Government was laundered. SFTAS is a World Bank accountability project to ensure the Government stays accountable to the people.
“For many years, Kogi has won awards as one of the most transparent state governments in Nigeria. A responsible anti-graft agency would have made Kogi an example of transparency and excellence. However, with its endless wild goose chase, Nigerians would even wonder if EFCC’s biased corruption binoculars are only designed for Kogi State.”
