- EFCC seals 50 houses, other properties owned by Yahaya Bello.
- His nephew arraigned over N10bn fraud and money laundering charges
- Kogi workers celebrate bleak Christmas and lamentations
In Kogi state, amidst the lamentations of the indigenes, a string of controversies, criminal allegations and investigations for fraud and money laundering continues to trail the now 7 years tumultuous governance of Gov Yahaya Bello.
A few weeks ago, the same governor and his government was enmeshed in another scandal in which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced that a “Hidden N19.3 billion bailout fund belonging to Kogi state was found and returned to the CBN. Very many wondered, why this funds existed at a time when Kogi state civil servants were groaning from non payment of their full salaries for months.
Fresh angles continues to emerge from further investigations into the alleged N10.2 billion fraudulently withdrawn from Kogi state coffers by Gov Yahaya Bello’s nephew.
In the latest development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sealed off over 50 houses and other properties in different prime locations across the country belonging to Yahaya Bello, over his involvement in the alleged money laundering case to the tune of N10.2bn.
The governor, according to some sources, is being investigated for allegedly siphoning over N10.2 billion from the state government account, through his nephew, Aliyu Bello, and one Abdulsalami Hudu, a Cashier of Kogi State House Administration (now at large).
Aliyu alongside Abdulsalami Hudu was arrested and arraigned before Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday on 10 counts bordering on misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of N10.2 billion.
Again, this is as the hope of many workers and pensioners in the state to mark this year’s Christmas is shrouded in uncertainty. The civil servants and retirees continue to lament non-payment of their salaries and pensions by the government.
Many workers in the state lamented that they have for months been receiving salary payments in percentage of their actual wage, with some getting as little as 20 percent.
A state worker on condition of anonymity declared his exasperation:
“Imagine not being able to pay workers their due salaries and wages but siphoned over N10bn of public funds through his nephew and he is busy buying houses and other properties in different choice locations across the country. This is apart from the huge public funds he allegedly expended pursuing his joke of presidential ambition. Who did this to us as a people? How did we get here? This man is the worst thing that has happened to Kogi State. EFCC must further investigate him and help Kogi people recover all our monies allegedly looted by this man through his families and cronies.”
A source within the anti-graft agency who also spoke on the condition of anonymity revealed that some of the properties, including a five-bedroom fully detached duplex and 150-room five-star luxury hotel in Kogi and Abuja, respectively were allegedly acquired with proceeds of the N10bn money laundering fraud.
