Alleged Misappropriation of Kogi Funds: Properties Purchased During Bello's Administration, Says Witness

A witness testified in the Federal High Court in Abuja that significant funds allegedly redirected from Kogi State Government House accounts were used to buy prestigious properties in key sectors of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Ahmed Abubakar, a member of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), provided evidence as the 17th witness in the trial concerning Ali Bello, the Chief of Staff to Kogi State's Governor Usman Ododo.

Bello, related to the previous Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, faces charges alongside co-defendants Dauda Sulaiman and Abdulsalami Hudu, a former Kogi Government House cashier who is currently at large.

The EFCC has charged them with 16 counts of money laundering, suggesting that over N10 billion was misappropriated from Kogi State's treasury during Governor Bello's term. Yahaya Bello himself faces separate criminal proceedings concerning his alleged diversion of government funds.

According to the testimony provided, funds intended for state administration were allegedly withdrawn and used to acquire properties. Bello purportedly used approximately N900 million to purchase property on Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja. The property, owned by a Bauchi State legislator, was reportedly sold for that amount with the assistance of a lawyer who facilitated the transaction, wherein cash payments were made through a Bureau de Change in Abuja after currency conversions.

The witness stated these funds were drawn from the Kogi State Government House's Administration Account on various occasions.

Under cross-examination, prosecution lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo presented evidence linking Bello to other property acquisitions, including a property on Oguta Street purchased for N920 million. The witness claimed that former Governor Yahaya Bello himself orchestrated the dealings through various contractors and arrangements that included payments ‘in kind’ to further facilitate the transactions.

Abubakar noted that the total amount related to the facility taken out for one deal totaled over N800 million. He also furnished the court with details of multiple cash deposits made to an Access Bank account for loan servicing, identifying several individuals linked to these cash flows.

In addition, the witness detailed further property acquisitions funded through the same Kogi State Government House account, amounting to N170 million for a property on Marsin Street, beside the residence of former Governor Bello, made in similar cash transactions overseen by a now-deceased BDC partner.

The ongoing trial has been adjourned, with further hearings set for February 16-19, as the court will continue to deliberate on the allegations presented by the prosecution.

Judge James Omotosho presided over the hearing and directed a comprehensive examination of the evidence submitted regarding the financial activities purportedly conducted during Bello's governorship.